


Post Prologue: X3

by Yamxz (TightTights)



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Break Up, Dopple Town, Long epic, M/M, Mega Man X3, Part 3, Sequel, Shit sucks for X
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 01:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5724382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TightTights/pseuds/Yamxz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation from He's the Commander, and of the 'Prologue' series.   A lovers' quarrel between X and Zero sends fractures through their relationship.  Meanwhile, sensation grows over the rise of Dopple Town and Dr. Doppler's Neuro Computer, a device that can cure Maverickism.  X must grapple with his feelings about Zero as he faces this new threat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Excuse my delay in starting up this next installment! Had a few false starts plus a busy work week. But here we go. Whew.  
> Not sure what to rate this at the moment so Teen for now.

X awoke, cold, stiff in his neck and shoulders. He straightened from his slump, wincing as he remembered spending the night in the lab, sitting on his knees, motionless and wide-eyed, until his system went into shutdown. He wiped his face, flicking away the crust of his dried tears.

He leaned back, unfolding his legs from under him to sit on his backside, but did not quite have the energy to stand. Maintenance cycles outside of a bed allowed him to remain functional, but not optimal. His inertia, however, was due to more than just sub-optimal maintenance: he hated being awake. Wakefulness separated him from his nightmares. Now, nothing did.

"Sir. Zero was scheduled to supervise performance tests this morning, but it's been close to an hour, and he hasn't reported in."

The Hunter's report that morning punctured an inflamed boil within X, and an irrational, unreasonable anger spilled out like pus. He gripped the rim of the panel, squeezing it until his fingers ached.

"I see," he said to the Hunter, in as neutral of a tone as he could muster. "I'll see if another officer can fill in. And if Zero does report in, tell him to contact me immediately."

"Thank you, sir!"

Once the communication cut, X allowed himself to openly grind his teeth, followed by a huff of annoyance. The problem did not warrant such a reaction, yet somehow it struck at him personally. Was this a form of petty revenge on him, or simply more careless disregard? X felt as though he were convicted of a crime without a proper due process, and now his sentence began in earnest.

He seized on the silver lining, glad for the fact that Zero's actions invited formal discipline. He resolved that once Zero _did_ report in, he would do as the humans say: he'd throw the book at him, circumstances be damned.

He never got the chance.

As days passed, a stark fact became increasingly apparent: Zero was nowhere to be found. After some informal investigation, X confirmed that no one set eyes on him since the day of their argument. A formal investigation then launched. It, too, only confirmed that Zero vanished, without any word or indication of where he fled.

Stymied, the angry pus drained out, and the boil soon scarred over with self-reproach. Despite X's earlier aggravation, worry soon overtook him. Guilt followed close behind.

News spread quickly throughout the Maverick Hunters. Rumors sprouted. Some speculated that Zero went on a secret undercover operation. Others believed he quit to become a mercenary. A few suspected that X discharged him, claiming he and the Commander never actually got along.

X overheard these theories as he patrolled headquarters, top to bottom, all day, pretending to be concerned with the finishing touches on the reconstruction. In truth, he hoped that Zero might appear around the next corner, or perhaps the next. He checked messages every hour, and answered calls promptly, filled with a similar hope that someone, somewhere, had news of Zero on the premises. He did not miss the irony that in his concern over Zero's absence, he fully caught up with his work.

While preoccupied, he paid little attention to the gossip being batted about. He trusted that general interest in the matter would wane eventually.

He realized his error only when he overheard the chatter of two Hunters:

"I think it's a little suspicious that he would just magically come back after being declared dead from the first war," one of them said.

"They say Mavericks rebuilt him. Maybe he left to serve them?" the other replied.

"There's a terrifying thought! I don't think even the Commander could deal with Zero if he were Maverick."

At that, X pivoted, turning sharply to face the two Hunters. He approached them, saying, "Excuse me," he said, flagging their attention.

"C-Commander!" one said, saluting. "What can we do for you?"

"Zero might have gone missing, but he is still the bravest Hunter to ever serve our cause. If not for his sacrifices, none of us would have the luxury to talk about him like you are."

"Sir! Forgive my carelessness!" the Hunter said, bowing.

"Me, too!"

X shook his head, saying, "I would appreciate it if you did not spread such despicable ideas. Now go find something else to do."

"Yes, sir!" they said in unison.

The incident galvanized him to issue a formal announcement:

" _Hunters,_

_Various rumors have come to my attention in regards to the absence of one of our officers. That all of you are moved to discuss his absence speaks to the shock we all feel. There is no one who understands your worry and confusion as well as I do._  
_However, Zero remains the bravest, most capable Hunter I know. I respectfully ask each and every one of you that out of respect, that you please refrain from spreading harmful and baseless information as to his motives or whereabouts._

_I will keep you informed as best as I am able._

_Thank you._ "

The rumors died off precipitously, but X found it difficult to determine whether it was from his words, or from the fact that Dopple Town and its Neuro Computer surged to the forefront of their concerns. If its miracle proved true, then the need for Maverick Hunters would disappear with their quarry.

* * *

 

X wiped his eyes with a finger, feeling moisture cloud his vision as he studied a fresh report at his desk in the study. The moisture continued to spring forth as he scanned the long lines of information. Soon, he set the datapad down, using both hands to rub his face. He wondered why he kept leaking, as there was nothing emotional about the work.

Nonetheless, he pushed the pad aside to rest his cheek on the hard wood. He was still exhausted, even after getting a night's rest in a proper maintenance bed. His breathing grew shallow, and his chest felt tight, as if the surrounding air had thinned.

A knock came at the door, causing X to snap upright from the desk.

"X? Are you in there?"

X broke into a wide grin. He leaped from his seat, saying, "Doctor!"

The door opened, and Dr. Cain came through saying, "I'm back!"

"It's been two weeks already?" X said, smiling.

The doctor patted him vigorously on the shoulder. "And an extra day, actually. I just had to stay. The sun was too perfect!" he finished, gesturing upward.

X grinned. "I'm glad your had a good time."

"Sounds like you did, too," Dr. Cain said. He smirked, then leaned in to ask, "How's Zero?"

At that, X bit his lip, and his gaze dropped. The reaction prompted the doctor to lean back and say, "Oh my. What happened?"

"Let's not talk about it right now. You just got back."

Dr. Cain clicked his tongue. "My things can wait.  You look terrible.  Have a seat and tell me."

X remained in place, bringing a hand up to rub his neck as he considered his words. "We, um-," he began. He paused again, then said, "You know those weird reactions I had to Zero?"

Dr. Cain smiled. "Oh, yes. And what did you discover?"

X felt himself blush, though he did not know why. He swallowed hard and said, "He had them, too. Because we wanted to mate."

Dr. Cain flinched as though X had been batted him with a newspaper. He then scrunched his brow. "Do you mean 'date'?"

X cocked his head. "No, mate," he insisted, earning a look of shock from the doctor. "What?" X asked him.

"Excuse me. I never imagined that's where your feelings for each other might take you. Nevermind that you'd be capable of um, er..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "But let's not use that term. Sounds a little too clinical and textbook. 'Dating' sounds much better, and implies the same thing."

"Oh," X replied. "We're dating, then," he said, trying out the word.

Dr. Cain chuckled.  "I'm happy, though, that you finally figured yourself out. But that's not all there is, I take it."

X's face fell and he said, "I was happy, too. But we had an argument, and now he's disappeared. No one has seen him in days."

"Disappeared? Just how serious was this 'argument'?"

"He-," X swallowed again. "I was having trouble keeping up with my duties, so I asked him for a break. He didn't take it well."

The images of Zero forcing himself on him hovered at the front of his mind, but his voice stopped short of describing it. He did not know why.

The doctor sighed. "I see. Human relationships tend to be complicated, and becoming intimate can complicate them even more. I think this is what you are learning the hard way."

X looked down, and his lip quivered. "But why? Why does it have to be complicated? Why couldn't he just understand?"

The doctor frowned, placing a finger to his lip. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. What I can tell you is that people can love each other, but have differing needs. Both of you are discovering this. That's why love requires just as much patience as it does passion."

"Patience?"

"Indeed." The doctor moved to place a hand on X's arm. "I think Zero just needs your patience right now. He will come back, you'll see. Then he'll be ready to offer you his."

Suddenly, tears burst from X's eyes. He pressed a hand to his face, trying to hold back. He quivered with a sob, which brought on many more.

"X," the doctor whispered, reaching to stroke X's back.

While wiping his face X said, "It's tight. Hurts."

"Best not to hold it in. Sorrow always comes out one way or another."

After a minute, X's fit began to subside, though X still thumbed tears from the corners of his eyes. "What else can I do about it?"

The doctor shrugged. "When something bothers me, I find that occupying my mind with something else helps tremendously.   _Oh!_  That reminds me of just the thing! Stay here, and I'll go fetch it!"

The doctor hurried out. When he returned, he presented X with a pamphlet. Across the cover screamed _DOPPLE TOWN_ across variegated blocks, the colors shouting over a garish yellow background. He said, "The travel agency was giving these out like candy to Reploids and human alike. Sounded a bit too good to be true."

X grunted, taking the pamphlet to thumb through. "Yes, I've heard of it. The Hunters are buzzing with talk about how Dr. Doppler can cure Maverickism.  I can't believe people are believing this."

Dr. Cain nodded. "That's precisely why I didn't immediately throw out this hideous thing. I thought you'd be interested in what they're advertising, especially its extraordinary claim of private security that's Maverick-immune. Mercy me, I thought that idea died out years ago."

As X studied the pamphlet, he said, "Thank you, doctor. I think it is time I got to the bottom of this Dopple Town."


	2. Doppler's Spell

The next day, X summoned Makku, the Maverick Hunter's Head of Security, to the Commander's office at headquarters. Makku, or 'Mac' as X and the Hunters informally called him, was a rising star among the Maverick Hunters, known for spearheading the formation of a new Hunter division: a general security team tasked with preventing and managing threats within the organization.

X never considered the creation of such a division until Mac's candid insistence, saying that Sigma's rebellion might not have caused so much damage had a dedicated security team been on standby. X conceded the point, albeit blunt, but with a condition: that Mac take the lead, and assume all of the responsibilty and accountabilty of such a role. With a youthful brashness that inspired some concern, Mac accepted. Nonetheless, X admired the dedication and good example Mac set for the Hunters, and allowed him the space to grow.

Mac managed to put X's doubts to rest as he worked tirelessly to vet and train Hunters for his team. His security reports were timely, and his responses swift. X found Mac's standards of quality and efficiency so very refreshing while he managed his own stresses.

Along with his summons, X requested that Mac also bring some of his newest deputies. They lined themselves in front of X's desk. As X inspected their signature purple and green uniforms, he asked, "They are all from Dopple Town?"

"Yes, sir," Mac answered in his brusque fashion. The single, cherry red lens, embedded in the corner of the mask over his eyes, flickered as he spoke. "I specifically requested they join my team due to their origin."

X knitted his brow. He then turned to the line of Hunters. "I take it you all have been through Dr. Doppler's treatment?"

"Yes, sir!" each of them answered.

"May I ask one of you to describe what it was like?"

The Hunters looked at one another, then one of them answered, "They take you to what looks like a fancy hospital. Then they plug you into the Neuro Computer, like you would at a diagnostic terminal. Next, they give you a stabilizing serum to lessen the shock of the procedure. Then they throw the switch and it burns your insides, like it's boiling the impurities out of you. It only lasts a few seconds, but once it's over, it's like you're floatin' on a cloud."

"Yeah, your mind is clear as a bell. There's no more doubt that we're meant to serve," another Hunter piped up.

The description did not ease X's concerns. He then asked, "If you believe this is the solution to Maverickism, then what made you join the Hunters?"

Mac answered him: "They believe Mavericks are still a threat, even with this new device. High level Mavericks won't willingly submit to treatment, therefore they will still need to be dealt with the old-fashioned way." The Hunters all nodded in agreement.

X's lips turned down at the term 'old-fashioned'. He replied, "I see." He then turned to the Hunters and said to them, "Well then, I must thank you for finding the Maverick Hunters worthy of your service."

The line of Hunters saluted him. Mac stepped in front of X, saying, "If I may make a request, Commander." When X nodded, Mac gestured them aside.   Once they stepped away, Mac then leaned in and said, "I would like to go to this Dopple Town and subject myself to the treatment as well."

X leaned back slightly and blinked. In a loud whisper, he replied, "Absolutely not. You really think that is necessary? I trust you, Mac."

Matching his volume, Mac said, "I appreciate that, Commander. However, I would like to ease your doubts by investigating this device and experiencing its effects personally."

"That's certainly brave of you, but I cannot allow it. It's far too risky."

Mac straightened, donning a severe expression. With his voice still low, he said, "Sir, a Hunter's greatest fear is becoming what they are meant to destroy. Consider this a personal request, then. If it's possible, I want to be made immune, and to never fear turning on my own comrades as a Maverick."

X examined him for a pause, moved by his earnest words. Nonethless, he shook his head. "I cannot in good conscience allow you to do this. Something about this seems far too good to be true."

Mac brought his arm across his chest, saying, "Then allow me to visit this Dopple Town and observe their security forces. With my particular expertise, I can confirm whether your suspicions of foul play are warranted. I will then return as the very same Hunter you trust."

If X did not crave as much information as he could gather about Dopple Town, he might not have been as susceptible to Mac's insistence this time around. X realized this, but as he brought a finger to his lips to consider the request, he also contended with his lack of other options.

"I suppose I should know better than to argue with you," X finally said. At Mac's ensuing grin, X continued, "If you truly feel okay with this, then I will permit your use of leave to investigate as much as you are able and as swiftly as possible. Report to me at once when you return, even if it is the middle of the night."

Mac saluted him. "Sir! And thank you!"

"You and your staff are dismissed."

As Mac and his team retired, X turned his attention out toward Abel City, framed like a painting by the wall of glass behind his desk. He crossed his arms and leaned against the hard wood of the desk. As if poked by a spirit of mischief, he glanced down behind him and at the carpet below. The tell-tale splotch of his union with Zero still remained, though greatly faded. He closed his eyes and sighed, upset by the reminder, yet entranced by the memories filling his mind.

Then, his desk beeped.

Pulled from his thoughts, he snapped upright. He knitted his brow and walked around the desk, searching for the source. When he came around behind it, he noticed a flashing green light coming from just under where the chair's seat inserted. He pushed the chair aside to touch the light with his finger. When that failed to stop the beeping, he palpated around it until he felt the distinctive rise of a button.

Upon pressing it, a panel embedded in the desk's surface flipped, presenting him with a viewscreen that flickered to life.

"Sir!"

After a short beat, X then recognized who addressed him-- the receptionist out in front of his office. Unaccustomed to having one in the first place, X let the awkwardness slip when he answered, "Y-yes?"

"The Council has just arrived at headquarters. They wish to meet with you immediately."

The news sobered him like a splash of ice water. "The Council?" He stopped himself from wondering about their presence aloud, instead saying, "Very well. Send them in as soon as they arrive."

"Roger!"

The panel reverted back into the desk. X's gaze remained fixed, staring off as he worked to figure out the meaning of such a sudden visit by the humans. Before he completely forgot himself, he circled the desk and planted a foot on top of that accursed stain.

* * *

 

"I just don't understand what the urgency is," X said. "Once I am satisfied with the facts, I will make a prudent recommendation. But I need time to investigate."

The Council stood across from him, spaced apart as if they composed a firing squad.

With arms folded, the lone councilwoman of the group said, "The urgency are the lives and the billions of dollars that are at stake because of this unreasonable level of caution."

X could feel the tense stares of the other councilmembers when he replied, "With all due respect, I am not yet convinced that this Neuro Computer truly works. I also cannot gamble the value of lives and property by making a hasty decision."

A graying councilman, the eldest of them all, said, "Fortunately for you, then, that the decision has been made already. We would like for you to send all of the Maverick Hunters to Dopple Town for treatment by Dr. Doppler."

"What?" X said. By the looks of the councilmembers, he realized he interjected bit too pointedly. Nonetheless, he continued, "Then this isn't a discussion?"

"I'm afraid my colleague is being too polite. Yes, we are _requiring_ that you arrange this," a bespectacled councilman said.

X tried to suppress his outrage. Refusing to give up, he said, "Forgive me, but I remember the time when humans and Reploids raced to find a cure for Maverickism. They were nothing but failures and hoaxes! How can we be sure that this time it's different?"

"Because we've _seen_ it, my boy!  We visited with this Doppler fellow by his invitation. With full confidence, he demonstrated his device for us on a Reploid with severe Maverick symptoms. The transformation was indisputable! The odd ticks, the violent fantasies, the rage-- gone with a flick of a button! The Maverick was a docile as a mouse," the graying councilman said, smiling broadly.

X's mouth fell open as the councilman spoke. "You all _met_ Dr. Doppler?  Without any sort of guard?"

"Oh, come now, Commander.  You should consider meeting him, too, if you don't believe us," the councilwoman said, clicking her tongue.

Another councilman spoke, one with jet black hair and a well-groomed tuft of a beard. "It doesn't matter what he believes."

"True," the bespectacled councilman said.

"I believe we are finished here.  You will see that our wishes are met. We appreciate your time on such short notice," the graying councilman said.

Each of the Council turned to leave, the five draining out of the room much like the last of X's composure. Once the double doors shut, X pivoted and slammed his fist onto the desk, quivering with apprehension and disbelief. It galled him how easily everyone was taken in by Dopple Town's spell, and that no one else thought to question the salvation to Reploids that it promised.

No one-- except Zero. X moved his foot and stared down at the stain in the carpet he hid underneath. He no longer cared about feelings, nor about patience. He needed strength. He lifted his head and looked out across the city. His strength roamed out there, somewhere, and he prayed for its return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mac gets some made-up backstory. We all know where this is going. Poor fellow.


	3. The Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse the delay! Didn't get a chance to work on an update over the weekend, and I'm not sleeping too great. So I'm not sure if I'm happy with this chapter ^^; But I hope you guys like some of the setup going on and backstory for Mac here.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

X informed his senior officers of the Council's desire for compulsory treatment. They in turn dispersed it to their subordinates. The news flowed down the chain of command, and reaction rose back up.

In the ensuing days, the Maverick Hunters settled on divisions, with the majority relieved by the Council's decision. With Mac's security team as a prime example, many believed in the miraculous effects of the Neuro Computer and desired treatment themselves.

A few Hunters questioned the mandatory nature of the treatment. They believed that Hunters should be able to choose whether or not they wanted it, and when. In response to them, X denied having an opinion on the matter. The humans wished for them to be treated, and that was all X needed to know.

In truth, the argument reflected X's own struggle to accept Dr. Doppler's solution. It pained him when those dissenting voices were quickly squelched and bullied by those who argued that it was selfish and reckless for a Hunter to refuse. Some backlash might have allowed him to bargain for time.

He needed time. His sense of duty compelled him to go as far as designating groups to rotate out for treatment, but his conscience stopped him from solidifying schedules. In the back of his mind, he still held on to the hope that Mac might return any second. Despite his initial misgivings, X needed his report more than ever. If Mac collected enough compelling evidence, it might persuade the Council to rescind the order. X gambled on evading the Council's notice of his delay until the report came in.

* * *

 

“What is the meaning of this? Why haven’t you sent the Hunters to Dopple Town?”

The gamble failed. A week passed without word from Mac. Now, he found himself plunged into a losing debate with the Council. It took every shred of willpower for X to maintain eye contact with the viewscreen at his desk and the five faces who stared back at him.

“I regret the delay,” X managed to get out. “Planning rotations have proved more complex than I thought. There has been some resistance to the idea as well.”

“You’re the Commander ,” the bespectacled councilman said. “Are you admitting that you simply aren’t up to the task?”

X took a deep breath before saying, “No, sir.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“There is no problem. I merely plead for the Council’s patience while I organize the Hunters in a way that does not jeopardize our effectiveness in case of a Maverick attack.”

The members of the Council regarded him for a pause until the gray councilman cleared his throat and said, “We consider this a dire matter, Commander. Our patience is very short. If you are unable to do as we ask, then we will find someone who can.”

Stunned, X said, “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“Then how soon may we expect treatment to begin?” the woman on the Council asked.

“I will start sending groups by the end of the week.”

“I think you should start tomorrow,” the gray councilman said.

X looked between the other councilmembers, who all bowed their heads in agreement. “Tomorrow,” one of them echoed.

With reluctance, X nodded with them. “Tomorrow, then.”

“Good. Thank you for your cooperation, Commander.”

X bolted from the desk as soon as the conference ended, moving to pace his office. He clenched his fists and bit his lip in an effort to tamp down his frustration. He respected humanity, admired humanity. Yet the demands of the Council tested him with reminders of its confounding quirks. In particular, that the Council saw no issue with emotionally-driven policy instead of waiting for the facts. Without a rational basis, there was no appeal to reason X could attempt. And rational or not, they were still his ultimate authority.

After he calmed down, he settled back at his desk. He clasped his hands together, supporting his chin against his knuckles. Then, his desk signaled an incoming call. Sighing, he reached under and hit the answer button.

“Sir!” his receptionist greeted.

“Yes?”

“It’s Mac! Mac’s here to see you!”

X stood up sharply, saying, “Send him in now!”

Seconds later, Mac entered, stopping short of the raised desk. He stood at attention, dead center of the black stripe of carpet. X crossed around in front of the desk, saying, “Thank goodness. Am I ever glad you’re back.”

“Thank you, Commander!”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to cut to the chase. What did you discover?”

Mac nodded, saying, "Sir, Dopple Town is truly a world-class city. There are no concerns about Maverick attacks, nor even petty crime. The atmosphere is what we Hunters have always wanted for society. It’s enviable."

"Okay, but that’s not what I’m interested in. Tell me about what behaviors you observed in their security forces. Was there anything remotely suspicious?"

Mac hesitated at the question. "That's just it, Commander. Security is ever present, but there are no armed troops patrolling the streets. I suspect its citizens would never know they were being monitored while going about their day."

X frowned. "So you observed nothing?" he asked.

"Not exactly."

When Mac neglected to elaborate, X said, "Mac?"

Mac hesitated again. He then said, "I made some observations, but only after I was detained due to trespassing on Dr. Doppler's residence." He brought his arm across his chest and bowed at the waist. "I'm sure you'll forgive my ineptitude."

X's face fell, horrified. "Forgive you? Mac, this is terrible! A scandal is the last thing I need to deal with!"

Mac held up a hand and shook his head, saying, "Commander, allow me to explain. Believe me when I say the guard did not raise a fuss, nor did they notify the press. In fact, he said he would not do so as long as I complied with them."

"Who?"

"Dr. Doppler, of course."

X blinked. "You met with him?"

"Indeed. The fellow is as charismatic as they say, enough to overlook his eccentricities. He treated me more like an unexpected guest than as a prisoner."

"I see. And what did you find out?"

"He showed me everything involving Dopple Town's security network. Cameras, databases, deployments. He keeps everything well hidden so as not to disrupt the image of paradise. He compared the illusion to that of a Reploid's exterior hiding the grisly nature of our inner workings."

X brought a fist to his chin. "What else? Didn’t anything seem off?"

"He told me his vision. His achievements. How thrilled he was to have attracted your interest in his life's work. He said he looked forward to showing you of the peace between humans and Reploids you've always dreamed of."

Taken aback, X dropped his arm and replied, "That's a strange thing for him to have said."

"He understands your concerns as well, which is why he would like to invite you to Dopple Town and see for yourself."

"I'm not interested," X said, sighing. "Is this really all you could find out?"

"You’re refusing?"  
  
"I’m not clear about what he wants."

"I think it's very clear what he wants. He wishes for you to see his work for yourself. Truly, it is a marvelous device. It will change the world!"

A glint in Mac's crystal red eye caused X to tense. "Mac. Did you?"

"It was a condition for my release, but I can't say the offer offended me." Mac bowed once more, saying, "I disobeyed you, but that is the only regret that I have. I feel no other pain. Only clarity. Dr. Doppler said that it was a gift to me-- and to you."

X shook his head. His face turned severe. In a low voice, he said, "I don't want his 'gifts', Mac. Your recklessness is inexcusable for someone of your position."

Mac's eye flashed. He then said, "And if you will not accept his good will, then Dr. Doppler wishes me to deliver his regrets instead. The press will hear about the Maverick Hunters invading his residence and spying on him."

"Did you tell him that I don't respond to threats?"

"There was no need. He predicted as much. Therefore, he suggested that I inform you that I was not the first Hunter to be discovered snooping around. I was merely the first one he caught."

X's eyes grew wide, the news galvanizing him forward. He stepped from the raised platform and approached Mac, saying, "How do you know he told you the truth?"

"He didn’t just tell me. He showed me. With the way he evaded capture, there was no doubt of who our other man was. He's willing to send you the footage as well."

"No," X said curtly as he stopped before him. He bit his lip, his mind racing. He then said, "Thank you for your report, Mac. I must think on this." When Mac saluted him, X turned around. Over his shoulder, he said, "But before you're dismissed, there is one more thing."

"Yes, Commander?"

"Starting today, you and your men will report everyday to the med lab for a full diagnostic. If there is anything amiss, I will relieve you of your duties and revoke your access codes until I am satisfied that it is resolved. I will be in touch with our medical staff to ensure your compliance." X then turned to say, "As head of security, I trust that you understand this precaution."

Mac swayed on his feet, then swallowed hard. He said, "Yes, Commander. I understand."

"Thank you. Dismissed."

X watched as Mac turned hard on his heels and marched from the office, imagining Mac's indignity as a puff of foul gas wafting across him. X thought to relieve Mac of his duties then and there, but a pang of guilt short-circuited that idea. He promoted Mac, only to neglect him when other things stole away his attention. Namely, his personal life with Zero. His neglect allowed Mac too much free rein and not enough discipline to balance it.

Maybe if he more competent as a Commander, he would have seen it coming, or made better choices. He hoped that it was not too late. Once he dealt with Dr. Doppler, he resolved to begin correcting the problem in earnest.

For the moment, however, he had more pressing concerns. As the double doors swished shut, X made his own sharp turnaround. He hurried behind the desk and activated the communication panel.

"Yes. Get me a private line.”


	4. Dr. Doppler, Healer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, nothing like a friggity fuckstorm blizzard to help me get in a day of writing more for this crazy story.

Planted among the tall trees of the river valley, myriad slabs of black, gray, and purple rose nearly as high as the hillsides bordering the city. The late morning sun dazzled off of the spires' rows of crystal windows and sparkled against the foliage between them. Reploids hustled and bustled about their day in the streets below, and birds and butterflies fluttered and swooped about overhead. It seemed civilization and nature found a perfect harmony at Dopple Town.

X and a gross of Hunters entered the city on a convoy of flatbeds. Their heavy rumbling drew sharp attention from its citizens as they pushed through the crowded streets. X disliked making a big entrance, but given to his shortened deadline per the Council, time was of the essence, not discretion.

"Where is this lab?" X asked, putting a hand to his brow and scanning the way ahead. He sat in the passenger side of the lead truck.

"Should be just another left in about a block, then straight ahead," the driver said. "I think."

X looked over. "You think?"

"Well, I hope it is!"

X smiled as they continued to trundle on. Then, a a flash of blue and green lights came to life just ahead. Attached to the roof of a black car, the vehicle then approached them while letting loose a loud squeal of a siren.

"Great," X said, signaling for his driver to stop.

A Reploid - armored in black and blue - leaned from the driver's side of the black car with a mega phone. He said, "Maverick Hunters. Please allow us to escort you to the laboratory."

X glanced from the window, seeing more black security cars arrive to flank their convoy. He then turned forward and shouted from the window, "Yes! Please lead the way!"

The escort split the crowds, winding them through a disorienting grid of concrete and steel. Then, the view opened up into a grand city center, with a lofty tower jutting out from a cloud-touched cliffside. Rows of raised flower beds ran parallel with the road, and pristine fountains gushed from pools every thirty meters for a full kilometer.

Just beyond the gardens, the road came to a set of gates between a barrier of high walls, the tops of which were lined with wire and dotted with security cameras. The stark, functional appearance of the wall made a peculiar impression amid the greenery and crystal they left behind. And as the gates parted, they revealed gigantic complex, its area rivaling that of the Maverick Hunter headquarters, a detail which fed X's unease about Dr. Doppler and the entire situation he found himself in.

The escorts directed them to stop just inside the gates. Doppler's security formed a tight line to corral them. As X exited the truck, he saw a tall figure approach him through a gap between the security cars. Wrapped in a sterile white lab coat, two drums protruded from his shoulders, each connected to his back with a pleated cable. A white stalk of hair swept up high and wild over his hairline, with a matching tuft of beard stretched out from his chin.

"X! Can it be?" the figure gushed, extending out his hand.

X's hand remained at his side. "Dr. Doppler, I presume?"

Dr. Doppler stopped. He looked down, then retracted his hand. Giving X a once-over, he said, "Incredible! To think that someone of your prestige would visit me! I was so delighted by your message. Thank you for accepting my invitation!"

X knitted his brow, unsure if Doppler was being genuine, melodramatic, or toying with him. "You'll excuse me if I don't share in your excitement. You threatened me into coming here, doctor."

Dr. Doppler bowed low, saying, "Believe me, I didn't want to! But I could think of no other way to meet you. You are just _so_ exquisite!"

X's expression grew sharp. "If you think so highly of me, then you will tell me exactly what you are doing to my men, and to everyone seeking your cure."

Dr. Doppler straightened and said, "Yes, yes! And I will, for I think you will forgive me once I have allayed your doubts. Perhaps we may then reach something of mutual benefit to our interests."

X scoffed. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, doctor."

Doppler nodded. "I understand. If you will follow me, Commander. My men will take yours to the conversion chamber in the meantime."

"Conversion chamber?" X asked, looking behind him at the Hunters still sitting on the trucks.

"Yes. Where they will be converted from their old selves to paragons of order and peace."

"Enough," X said. He then beckoned to the Hunters to leave the trucks. "I'd prefer to simply get this over with."

"You may yet change your tune. Come, this way."

They followed alongside the group of Hunters in entering the main tower's front entrance. While the Hunters proceeded on inside on the first floor, Dr. Doppler veered to the right and into a lift. X joined him inside.

The lift spat them out on one of the uppermost floors. There, Dr. Doppler lead X down a stretch of hallway with high, shadowy ceilings. The hallway eventually opened up and wrapped around a thick, central pillar. Its exterior was a maze of steel vines, with lights twinkling and blinking rhythmically in almost every nook.

Dr. Doppler threw his hand out and said, "This is it. The conduit through which my cure is delivered. My staff of Aesculapius! I will heal the world with this machine!"

X looked over the massive monitors and towers of computer equipment stacked high up into the vaulted ceiling. Cables and cords carpeted the ground, and X took care not to trip over the thick tangles.

As they came to a stop in the center of the complex, the doctor continued, "So much strife and destruction has come about due to our race. While it is the first of it's kind, I anticipate there will be one like it in every city on the planet."

"Doctor, I lived during the time when everyone was trying to find a cure. What makes this different?"

"I have spent my entire life developing this. I studied the failures you refer to. Some of them came so very close to isolating the cause of Maverickism, but faith in a cure died out just as we were on the verge of a breakthrough!"

"Then the support and funding dried up."

Dr. Doppler pointed at X sharply. " _Exactly!_ But with the two Maverick crises, private interests sought out better solutions than what the Maverick Hunters could offer. Preventative measures. Fortunately, I had been working on just the one."

X lifted his foot off of a stray wire, frowning at the disorder all around him. "How can you be sure it actually works?"

Doppler smiled, scratching his beard with a finger. "Because the proof is in the results, no? Those with Maverick tendencies are healthy and rational once more." He leaned in to say, "Like your Mac fellow."

X's brow tightened as his mention. "What you've done to Mac?"

Doppler moved back and said, "What I do to all Reploids who come seeking my cure. I provide them with it."

"He told me you captured him, then held him until he agreed to accept it."

Dr. Doppler quirked his brow. Then, he chuckled. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. This 'Mac' of yours came to my door and begged for me to treat him."

"What?"

"Seems he couldn't admit the truth to you. Oh, dear."

X clenched his jaw. "I don't believe that! What about the press?"

Dr. Doppler held up his hands. "Oh, now I do confess to that dirty trick. I never intended on following through with it, but I'm glad it worked.  You see, I need you. I need you to believe."

"Why?" X asked, his tension easing somewhat.

"Because you are a legend. Everyone knows of your extraordinary victories over the Maverick menace. The humans may support my work, but that's not what matters to me. With your support, however, we can finally change the world for the better!"

X glanced down, then back up. He shook his head. He gestured to the mass of cables and said, "I cannot blindly support an unproven technology. You may have altered Reploids in ways you can't predict!"

" _Unproven?_ " Doppler said, exasperated. With a start, he moved to input commands into a nearby console. On the room's many large monitors, images flashed-- pictures and specifications of Reploids: Gravity Beetle, Neon Tiger, Tunnel Rhino, and four others. As they rotated on screen, Doppler then said, "Some of the most powerful Reploids on the planet have been saved because of my work. These seven warriors came to me with symptoms. _Dire_ symptoms. Can you imagine the chaos if they had gone fully Maverick? If not for my cure, they might be out there rampaging as we speak!"

The information gave X some pause as he studied the images onscreen. He then said, "I'm sorry, but I only have your word to go on, doctor. Surely a scientific mind would understand that I need better evidence if I am going to believe you cured them."

Doppler hissed with frustration. "What more evidence do you need? I tell you I have cleansed them all, and so many more! Like them, I have no doubt that one day you will join me in a new future for our kind. It's not too late for you and the Maverick Hunters to take that step!"

"I'm afraid not, doctor. If anything, you've only convinced me that coming here was a waste of my time." X said, turning to leave.

"Confound you! You would so easily walk away from something that can give you the peace on Earth you desire most of all?"

X froze, then twisted to look over his shoulder. "Where did you hear that?"

Doppler dropped his chin, pinning X with a cold stare. "Someone who says he knows you very well."

The remark caused X to spin around and return to Doppler. He said, "Who?"

"Someone from your B-Class days."

"Where is he?" X asked, urgency filling his voice.

Doppler huffed with amusement. "Where did that tough composure go? Fascinating."

X pulled back, recollecting his wits. "Nevermind. I've had enough."

He turned to exit once more, listening as Doppler said, "You've broken my heart, Commander. But don't worry.  You'll apologize to me one day."

X huffed to himself in response, his feet carrying him faster. He returned the way he came to the ground floor, where he sought out his men and women-- the first Hunters to be 'cured'. With a tight knot in his stomach, he watched from an observation room as one-by-one, technicians took them into enclosed chambers and performed whatever mad science upon them. He watched until he could no longer stand to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for hanging in with me here. This is all going somewhere, I promise. >.


	5. The Chain of Command

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter update, but I hope to have more done and up either today or tomorrow. I hope you all are digging this set-up and it hasn't been too boring despite the absence of Zero thus far...

Within a few hours, X and his first group of Hunters made it back to headquarters. Daylight still lingered. Despite his misgivings over how Dr. Doppler and his Neuro Computer altered the Hunters in his care, he begrudgingly admired the efficiency with which they were received.

Nonetheless, he observed the driver out of the corner of his eye along the entire way back. The Hunter seemed relaxed, focused on the road, and - to X's frustration - entirely normal, if a little peppier than when they first left for Dopple Town that morning.

They parked, and X swiftly exited the flatbed cabin, slamming the door behind him. He immediately turned to the Hunters seated in the back.

"All of you! Please form a line here!" he said, pointing toward a wall in the garage. He repeated himself to the Hunters in the other trucks.

"Yes, sir!" they shouted, responding with an energy that bubbled from the group ever since they left Dopple Town. Prompt and efficient, they organized themselves until all of them stood straight-backed and shoulder-to-shoulder while facing X.

The energy troubled X too much to feel wholly pleased. Walking down the line, he scrutinized each Hunter's appearance. He then selected a Hunter at random and asked, "How are you feeling?"

The Hunter hesitated, then said, "I feel fine, sir! Excellent!"

"Nothing feels off or strange?"

"No, sir!"

X turned to look down the row. "Does anyone feel differently?"

"It's the best I've felt since my first activation. I feel completely renewed!" a Hunter volunteered. Others nodded vigorously at his words.

X sighed, not comforted in the slightest. He took one more glance at each of them and said, "Alright. But if any of you begin feeling sick or strange in any way, please report to medical and notify me at once."

"Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed."

The Hunters filed out, and X crossed his arms as he watched them go.

"Commander," X heard from behind him. X turned to see Mac approaching.

"Mac," X said flatly. "What is it? Have you been in your check-up yet?"

"That's just what I wish to discuss," Mac said. He thrust out a datapad, the corners of his lips curving up. "I must inform you that I cannot comply with your order for daily medical screening."

X ignored the datapad. He knitted his brow, puzzled. He said, "It's not a choice, Mac. If you cannot comply, then I have to consider either demoting or discharging you. I don't want that."

In reply, Mac lifted datapad to bring it to X's chest.

X frowned, snatching the datapad out of his hand. He glanced over the text displayed there. "What?" he whispered.

"The humans agree with me."

X read aloud, "The Council hereby releases Makku, Head of Maverick Hunter Security, from his medical obligations as ordered by his Commander, X. Furthermore, any future orders prescribing the monitoring Maverick-immune Hunters are regarded by this body to be frivolous and thus considered null and void..." X trailed off as he read the rest of the writ. He then gripped the edge of the pad tightly and said, "Mac, what did you do?"

"Sir, I didn't feel I has a choice."

"The choice was to comply with my orders, _not_ to go behind my back and involve the humans!" X said, shaking the pad in his hand.

"With all due respect, the Council was glad for my report. They congratulated my proactive approach in obtaining treatment from Dr. Doppler, despite your unfounded skepticism."

"You had no business going over my head, nevermind that the Council doesn't exist to reverse orders just because you don't like them! What if one of your men asked me to undermine one of your decisions?"

"If he truly believed I was wrong, then I would accept my faults along with whatever decision you deemed fit."

X said, "Unless you don't like it, then you'd go to the Council."

Mac opened his mouth to speak, but when nothing came, he closed it and shifted on his feet. X's face fell, and he said solemnly, "I understand I have no choice but to allow this decision, but I'm disappointed, Mac." X pushed the datapad back into Mac's hands. "And I've had enough of your dishonest behavior. I can't force you into medical exams, but I can relieve you of your duties. Should you decide to tell the Council, I plan to explain that I can't have a Head of Security who I don't trust."

"But, Commander-" Mac started.

X cut him off. "You are relieved, Hunter."

Mac shook, clenching a fist. "Sir, I object to being disciplined because of your weaknesses in leadership. The Council sees it as well!"

X bared his teeth, saying, "Enough! This isn't a discussion, Mac. You're dismissed!"

Mac relaxed and stepped back, a grim smile on his lips. He then crossed an arm over his chest and bowed before turning to leave.

Agitated, X huffed, then brought a hand to his forehead once Mac went out of sight. As he calmed down, he questioned his decision for a brief moment. He disliked being so harsh, and he failed to rein in his outrage. Yet it seemed that everyone but him forgot that lives depended on the Maverick Hunters and their unity. Professionalism and protocol was the mortar that held everything together. If it crumbled, so would their strength against every threat to peace.

X supposed that was where the problem lay. No one else believed that a threat even existed.

* * *

 

"No, I did not get treatment," X said. He found himself in a familiar circumstance, staring at the five faces of those who challenged his patience with humanity. He waged a battle of wits with them, defending against assaults on his ability and character.

"Why not? Why on Earth not?" the gray councilman asked.

X swallowed hard. He replied, "I will, but only once I am satisfied that my Hunters are suffering no ill effects."

"Unbelievable," the gray man huffed.

The black-haired councilman said, "It's one thing that you disagree with our decisions, but that you make it so apparent is nothing but offensive."

"With all due respect, this Council placed me in charge presumably because you trust my judgment."

"Exactly. And now, we are finding egregious fault with that judgment. Your treatment of your security officer is an obvious example," the councilwoman on the panel said.

The bespectacled councilman said, "While it is not our wish to tell you how to run the Maverick Hunters, it is unsettling that you would treat them as lepers. Mac has been made immune, and therefore I dare say he and his men are more trustworthy now than any Hunter."

X shook his head. "Unfortunately, he has made a habit of going behind my back. Among other things, he spoke to this Council without my knowledge, and wasted your time with a matter we could have resolved ourselves. I don't consider that trustworthy at all."

The gray councilman smiled wryly. "Au contraire. We appreciated his initiative in bringing your treatment of him to our attention. He's quite the go-getter. In fact, we are heavily considering that his role report directly to us instead of to you. You will remain as Commander the Maverick Hunters, but mister Makku alone will have strict control over security."

X felt a weight drop into his stomach. "Do you really think that necessary?"

"Absolutely. We feel with is a wise precaution if the Maverick Hunters' leadership is altered or compromised in some way."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you are implying," X said, knowing full well what they meant.

"It's not necessary for you to understand. Simply to execute."

"Right."

"'Right', he says. And yet he mocks us!"

X knitted his brow. "It is not my intention to mock you. But I am struggling to understand what may please this Council," he answered, his voice rising.

"Have you always been this daft?" the councilwoman said.

The gray councilman said, "Your unquestioning cooperation. _Unquestioning._ You should look to mister Makku for an example."

"I understand. I regret any offense with my behavior," X said, lowering his head in order to mask a grimace.

"Then we can expect that you no longer waste our time in flaunting our requests."

"I understand."

"And you will submit to Dr. Doppler's treatment at the earliest opportunity."

"Yes, I understand."

"Excellent. Good day."

When the feed cut, X spun around in his chair, hands flying to his temples. He tilted back and stared at the ceiling. The world continued to go mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thought here is to try and parallel X's frustrations with Mac and the Council's frustrations with X. Everyone thinks they're doing the right thing and it all becomes a horrible mess.


	6. One Way Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, a chapter! I think I've broken through a bit of writer's block as I'm halfway through chapter 7 as well. They say you just gotta keep going even when you're not feeling it. Sleep also REALLY helps. *smacks forehead*

Though forewarned, X’s brow tightened when he received word the following week that the Council installed Mac as Security Chief, effective immediately. He bristled with indignation, but could do little but accept the new reality. All in all, the news simply added to his list of troubles.

Still, X felt nothing like anger towards the humans. In fact, despite his frustrations and apprehension, he sympathized. Their kind faced extinction not just once, but twice in the span of a year. Sigma gave them their fill of the despair and fear Mavericks were capable of inflicting. They overflowed with it. Primed to seek safety and reassurance, they gravitated toward decisive action and sure answers.

Mac had plenty of each to offer.

X folded his arms, sighing as he glanced across Abel City from his office, his eyes catching a flock of white birds soaring over its skyscrapers. In the still moment, he reflected. He felt alone and naked, and though he stood high above, he felt powerless against the pervading belief that the need for Maverick Hunters was coming to an end. It all seemed too good to be true.

A voice within him strengthened, arguing that perhaps the Neuro Computer did represent genuine progress. What if he - not Mac, not Doppler, the Council - were the boulder blocking the path toward everlasting peace? If there did exist a way to deal with Mavericks without violence, then why did he not share everyone else’s open mind? Maybe he still clung to old-fashioned ideas only because they were the only ones that made any sense to him. Maybe the future was moving past him, flying further and further out of reach the longer he stood still.

A green light flashed at his desk. The alert entered the corner of X’s eye, and it pulled his attention back to the present.

  
_NOTIFICATION FROM MAVERICK HUNTER SECURITY_

_BY ORDER OF MAKKU, SECURITY CHIEF_   
_YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR ANTI-MAVERICK TREATMENT SCHEDULED FOR XX DAY, EIGHTH MONTH, 20XX. PLEASE REPORT TO GARAGE D8 AT 0800 FOR ROLL CALL. PLEASE BE PROMPT._

_THE MAVERICK HUNTERS APPRECIATE YOUR COOPERATION._

  
X leaned back in his seat, studying the text on the viewscreen at his desk. For a moment, he wondered if he received it in error. He contacted Mac directly, and short pause later, Mac appeared on screen.

"Mac," X said.

"Commander."

"I received a message about reporting for treatment."

Mac inhaled sharply, then replied, "Oh, yes. I scheduled you. If you have other engagements, cancel them."

X grew severe. "You can’t just order me, Mac. I haven't agreed to this."

Mac's lips curved in amusement. "I'm afraid you’re mistaken. It is within my authority now to mandate your cooperation."

"And if I refuse?" X asked with a cold stare.

Mac grinned. "Then the Council has authorized me to accept your resignation."

X fell back in his chair, flabbergasted. “That’s insane.”

“That’s a matter of opinion. Your opinion, to be precise. The Council and I are concerned that you are the one flirting with insanity given your blundering defiance of their wishes. It reminds them of a certain predecessor who sat in that chair.”

Struck by the accusation, X swallowed hard and said, “You cannot be serious, Mac. You know I’m no Maverick, and I never will be!”

Mac studied him, a glint flashing in his red eye. He then said, “I cannot be certain of that until you are cured by Dr. Doppler. Besides, it would seem strange for you to remain exempt. Just think of it as a show of solidarity if that bothers you less.”

“Mac, please!” X said, slamming his hand on the desk.

“And once you are cured, we will no longer have these pointless arguments.”

X inhaled sharply, glancing down. He looked back up and said, “Listen, I'll go with the next group. Let me have more time."

"No!" Mac spat, shaking his head. "We cannot have delays. You will accompany the Hunters next week to Dopple Town. This is final. Now, was there anything else, or can I get back to my work?"

X drummed his fingers, saying, "I respected you, Mac. I admired your strong spirit. I still do.” He gritted his teeth. “But I never would have promoted you if I thought you’d allow power to go to your head. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to guide you better, and I see I’m paying for my oversight.”

Mac huffed in amusement, a smile crossing his lips. He said, "Thank you for your honesty. Since we're equals now, X, I'm going to offer the same. I never cared about your guidance. You can keep that to yourself. It's been obvious to me from the start that you're in over your head. You may be an S-Class warrior, but you're a joke of a Commander. I'm glad the humans see it, too."

X opened his mouth, but then stopped. He wanted to shout back, scream at the ingratitude that stunk on Mac’s words. Yet his voice caught, stymied by Mac’s brutal honesty.

"What's wrong? Waiting for Zero to come rescue you? I’m sure even he saw what an utter mess your leadership is. I don't blame him for walking out on you!"

"Shut up, Mac!" X finally said. The catch in his throat released, and his anger roared from his mouth. He pointed at Mac, saying, "If anyone should have walked out, it's you!”

Mac chuckled. “I only have to mention his name and your professionalism crumbles away. It must sting.”

“Enough!”

“Agreed. See you next week, X. I will be reviewing the attendance roster myself to make sure you showed up.”

“Be my guest,” X said. He stabbed his finger on the console and cut the call.

* * *

 

In the ensuing days, a mass of transfers infused Mac’s security team with greater numbers. Mac considered only Hunters who had been cured of Maverickism. In fact, as far as X could tell, that was the only qualification that concerned him.

With the swell of new recruits, security’s presence increased throughout headquarters. Everywhere X went, there seemed to be a pair of guards stationed at every pass. Eyes tracked everyone, everything. That Mac felt it necessary to have so much manpower on standby in a building full of trained Hunters both puzzled and alarmed X.

X thought confront Mac on his reasons, but he could not muster the energy. The futility of it sapped his will. As he glanced around at the purple-clad guard roaming the hallways, X accepted he was no longer in control. The Maverick Hunters as a whole were in the throes of a mutation, morphing into the image that reflected the Council’s desires. He struggled to imagine his place in the picture.

He also could not imagine being anywhere near Garage D8 the morning he was due for transport to Dopple Town. Instead, at 0800, he found himself seated on one of Dr. Cain’s lab tables, having spent the night in the one place he felt safest.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call ahead,” X said. He glanced around at the scatter of tools and potted plants that now filled much of the lab space.

Dr. Cain said, “My home is your home. And when you blow in through my front door looking like a raincloud, I’m always curious to know what’s on your mind.”

A half-hearted smile crossed X’s lips. “I’m not sure if I need any advice this time.”

“Oh really? Did Zero come back?”

X dropped his gaze, bringing a hand up to clasp his opposite elbow. “No.”

“What’s got you looking so serious, then?”

“Doctor,” X began, absentmindedly rubbing his elbow. “The Council wants me to undergo treatment.”

“Treatment? For Maverickism?” Dr. Cain clicked his tongue. “Preposterous! Why?”

“They believe in this cure so much that I’m no longer an exception. They empowered one of my own officers to enforce it.”

The doctor shook his head. “No, no. This isn’t right. Besides, Dopple Town’s technology isn’t even proven. They should know that!”

“After my meetings with them, I’m not convinced that they care. They just want to seem like they’re doing something.”

“Not to worry. I have some good friends who work with them. I will contact them immediately and knock some sense into them! My goodness, you of all people?”

X smiled as Dr. Cain grew more animated as he spoke. He replied, “Thank you, doctor, but it’s too late. I’m supposed to be on a transport right now headed to Doppler Town.”

Dr. Cain regarded him, stroking his beard. “I see. And what’s to happen once they realize you aren’t with them?”

X shrugged. “I’m going to resign.”

Dr. Cain’s jaw dropped to say something, but then knitted his brow at X’s neutral expression. “Should I be worried for you, or worried that you seem so unruffled by this consequence?”

X looked up with a strained smile. “I’m not sure. It’s strange. I think I should feel worried. I should want to keep my command. But after thinking about it, maybe it is best for me and the Hunters if I do resign as Commander. Maybe even quit altogether.”

Dr. Cain held up a hand. “Now, let’s not get too carried away. I remember you being so proud to be on the force when you first joined the Anti-Maverick Police. You may want to give it more thought before you burn your bridges.”

X’s lip quivered as he said, “I also want to look for Zero.”

“Ah, I see. And just where will you go?”

“I’ll start with Dopple Town, I guess. Maybe I can do more on my own to find out what’s really going on.”

A growl escaped Dr. Cain’s lips, a sound X rarely ever heard. “The world’s going mad, that’s what’s going on!” Dr. Cain said, waving his arm. “I’m going to lodge a protest with the Council anyway. It’s absurd that they’ve forced you into this! Into fleeing!”

X glanced up at the doctor as he spoke. His anger touched on X’s feeling of failure, deepening it. When the doctor finished, X brought a hand up to cover his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said, a sniffle coming through. “I wish I could stop it. I thought I could do so much better for Reploids and for humans. Now, I have no idea what’s going to happen. Even if I did, there’s nothing I can do.” He wiped the growing tears out of his eyes with his fingertips.

“Then maybe you’re right.” Dr. Cain moved to place a hand on his arm. “Perhaps it is best for you to get away from that place if it’s causing you this much anguish. I’m sure they’ll get on just fine, and you will, too. They’ll beg you to come back after this hootenanny blows over, mark my words.”

X nodded, smiling. He looked down at his hands. He said softly, “I want to stay here for little while, if that’s okay. Until I’m ready.”

“Of course,” Dr. Cain said. “Why don’t you be my assistant for the day, then? For old times’ sake.”

Despite his damp, weary eyes, X broke into a wide grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about making Mac more sympathetic, but then I said "fuck it" and made him a toady you just want to punch in the face. Sorry to any Mac fans out there.


	7. Doppler's Attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Released this a little later than expected, but it's a longer chap (for me, anyway). I'm trying to keep my production schedule up so I don't let this hang out there for too long, but it's never a good idea for me to write when I feel like shit. I just end up with characters saying ridiculous things, like: "Hey Zero. Bananas."

The sun touched the horizon by the time X left the manor. He turned to wave goodbye to Dr. Cain as he reached the bottom of the doorsteps, and after seeing the doctor wave back, X continued on, smiling to himself. The respite gave him a precious gulp of fresh air before diving back into his hopeless situation.

The pleasant effects wore off quickly. As he neared his hoverbike, his stride slowed as his contentment evaporated off of him. The faces of the Council and Mac’s smug smile flew through his head, and he felt a heaviness that weighed down his steps.

He stopped, touching his fingers to the handlebars. In a stray thought, he imagined what Zero might do. The corners of his lips curved upward. With a deep breath, he threw out the script in his mind he planned to deliver to the Council. If he left right then and there, they would get the message all the same.

He acknowledged the pang of conscience that followed his decision, but embraced the feeling of self-determination. And it felt good.

He hopped onto his hoverbike, making ready for the long ride to Dopple Town. As he released the brakes, he his ears caught a peculiar roar growing in the distance.

Airplanes, he thought with a shrug. But the noise did not pass-- it grew. He looked to the dark orange clouds above, alarmed by the heavy hum gaining strength enough to send rumbles through the ground. The relentless din sent vibrations rippling through him, and he knew that the source was no airplane.

Then, he saw them. Dozens-- no, hundreds of spycopters emerging from the clouds. Myriad wisps soon trailed a veritable hive, their dark bodies filling every corner of the reddening sky. Similar to the Maverick Hunter’s bee bladers, these models of bug-like helicopters were greenish, with two large binocular lenses mounted on its head. Stunned by what he was seeing, X tilted back, his mouth agape. X watched with dread as they gathered in a staggered formation and headed for the heart of Abel City.

“What on earth is going on!”

X looked toward Dr. Cain’s manor. There, just outside the door, he saw the agitated doctor watching the sky in confusion as the spycopters passed overhead.

“Doctor! Get inside!” X shouted.

“Be careful, X!” the doctor called.

X turned on his bike and revved it. In a blur he took off in the direction the swarm headed, weaving through the crowded streets as drivers and pedestrians all stopped to look up at the strange phenomenon. Soon he reached the inner city, merging onto the elevated highways. There, he realized the swarm’s intended target: Maverick Hunter headquarters.

The sound of static drew his attention to his hoverbike. Then, a voice spoke through considerable interference:

_“This is Maverick Hu- headquarters broadcast- on all emergency chan-. All Hunters are to- base immediate- return fire. We are -der attack. Repeat, all Hun- to base…”_

The interference intensified, drowning out the message entirely.

His blood ran cold when flashes of light lit up the front line of spycopters, and fireballs exploded from the tower. Dabs of shadow rained down as additional troops poured from the spycopters' abdomens.

“No!” X shouted into the wind as he pushed his bike faster, weaving dangerously close between stopped up traffic. Eventually, the highway cleared as panicked motorists turned around or exited the road, allowing him to bring his bike to full speed.

He traveled for some minutes when the sound of another engine roared behind him. Thinking it strange that someone else would be driving in the direction of the chaos, he glanced back over his shoulder, then forward again. At first, the red armor and trail of blond hair did not register in his mind. The second it did, X snapped his head around and swerved with surprise.

“Zero!” X shouted, aghast.

“Doppler’s begun his attack!” Zero shouted back. He gunned his bike to catch up with X.

“Where have you been?” X asked as Zero pulled up to ride alongside.

“Field trip,” Zero said cryptically.

X turned his focus to the spycopters. “These are Doppler’s?”

Zero’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t you get my message?”

“What message?”

With a grunt, Zero frowned. He pushed his bike faster and overtook X.

X looked back to the tower, and something troubled him. “The tower’s guns aren’t firing back!”

“I think Doppler’s got an agent on the inside,” Zero called over his shoulder.

“How do you know all of this?”

“Later! We need to defend the tower!”

As Zero finished his remark, a group of three spycopters peeled away from their formation. They homed in on their position, turning to swoop down along the highway. Their guns opened fire, rock and dust splashing high where bullets penetrated the thick pavement. They pulverized the highway until the barrels of their guns glowed red, and the highway buckled and crumbled.

“Ready?” Zero called, unsheathing his saber.

X readied his buster arm. “Always!”

With a great leap, Zero abandoned his hoverbike, sailing as a crimson spear through the air. He struck one of the spycopters dead on, grabbing onto its pleated hull. X followed his lead, stepping off of his bike just as it careened over the broken edge of the highway. In a similar fashion, he collided with the same spycopter, threading his fingers into a fold in its hull. He secured his footing, looking over to give Zero a quick nod.

The spycopter shot up high into the air with its passengers, then glided toward the Maverick Hunter tower. X glanced over to his comrade, taking advantage of the short breather to settle his racing heart.

“Here!” Zero said.

On cue, X attacked the aircraft, puncturing it with shots from his buster. The damage caused the spycopter to list and spiral downward. As it neared the ground, a slash from Zero severed the helicopter blade, and the two of them leaped off the doomed craft to land safely before headquarters’ main entrance.

Zero looked to entrance. Following his gaze, X saw the large door smashed in, and every bit of glass windowing lay shattered across the concrete.

Zero said, “I’ll clear out the enemies out here. More must be inside. You can handle them.”

“Zero,” X said.

Zero bowed his head. With little affect, he said, “I know. Later, okay?”

X nodded in assent. Zero’s saber hummed as he turned to face the swarm. X watched him go, unsettled by the ice in his voice.  He had little time to dwell, and pushed his doubts out of his mind, dashing for the headquarters’ entrance. Death and destruction raged before him, yet after two wars, he knew how to quiet his mind and focus solely on getting the job done.

He crossed the threshold into headquarters, coming under fire from sentry mechaniloids. Many more littered the path, and X destroyed as many as he could find. To his consternation, X stepped over a number slain Hunters. More troubling still, the once omnipresent security force was missing in action.

The mystery became clearer once X rounded a corner and found a group of Hunters surrounded by a team of Maverick Hunter security troops. They stood at attention, straight-backed, with rifles resting on their shoulders.

“Commander!” one of the Hunters shouted.

“Quiet!” one of the guards yelled.

“What is going on here? Why aren’t you helping to repel the attack?” X said.

“Our orders are to protect all non-security personnel until headquarters is secured.”

“By keeping us like prisoners! ” a Hunter shouted. “We should be out there fighting back!”

“Silence!” the guardsman said, dropping the barrel of his rifle into his opposite hand.

“Release them. Now,” X demanded.

“We follow Mac’s orders only.”

“And where is he?”

“Maintenance Bay 2.”

X huffed. He said to the Hunters, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this!”

“Thank you, Commander!” he heard in response.

X’s anger rose within his breast as he left them behind. His once clear mind focused solely on Mac, while his battle-honed body tore through the trail of enemies on his way to the maintenance bays as if on autopilot. He stopped when he reached Maintenance Bay 2, where vehicles and aircraft were parked along each side of the facility. There, ahead of him, X spotted a familiar figure.

“Mac!” X shouted, his voice echoing through the cavernous chamber.

Mac turned, a glint reflecting off of his red eye. “X? You shouldn’t be here.”

“What is going on? Why aren’t your men defending headquarters?”

With split-second speed, Mac aimed his buster arm and fired at X. The electric blue orb struck X squarely in the chest, and X could feel his limbs going numb. He dropped to his knee, gasping as he felt every muscle in his body seize. He stared, wide-eyed at Mac.

“Because you’re _so_ naive. You couldn’t even see what was going on before your eyes!  I’ll tell you again: you’re a joke of a Commander. But with your talent for battle, you’ll make a fine addition to Doppler’s Army!” Mac said. He raised his hand, and a Hangerter swooped down. It hovered above X, and he felt a painful shock course through him as the device gripped him in a stasis field. The light in X’s eyes faded as the Hangerter carried him off the ground.

* * *

 

When the light returned to his vision, X still felt the grip of the Hangerter piercing his tired body. Unable to move his head, all he could see was the dark gray of the Hangerter’s underside. His ears, however, picked up a conversation occurring just below him.

“Where is he? You said he would be here!”

“I misjudged him. He stayed behind. But not to worry; I have captured him, and will bring him to you for his conversion once the Maverick Hunters are leveled.”

“Excellent. You’ve done fine work, Mac. Our master will surely reward you once I have completed him.”

X tried to move. He willed himself to wiggle the tips of his fingers, but the field held him firmly in place. Even blinking seemed to be a struggle. He tried not to think about what horrible things awaited him once Dr. Doppler got his hands on him.

“Hey! You!” he heard Mac say.

X wondered what caused his outburst. That is, until another answered him.

“Mac. Should have known it was you.”

“Zero! So the dog finally returns to his master.”

“You’re shaking. What’s the matter?”

“I’ll kill-!”

Before Mac finished his sentence, X heard the whirl of Zero’s saber cutting him off. Seconds later, a shot pierced the Hangerter, splitting it apart. The hold on X released, and he instantly regained his mobility. He fell to the floor with a heavy thump. There, he saw Mac’s head, cleanly separated from his fallen body a few feet away.

“You okay, X?”

X turned to Zero, rotating his shoulder in its joint. “Yeah,” he replied. “A little stiff, but I’ll be fine.”

“Good. I’ll keep checking around headquarters. Try to stay out of trouble,” Zero said, moving toward the exit.

“Wait!” X said. Zero stopped and turned sideways. At his expectant gaze, all X could think to ask was, “Why?”

With a similar lack of emotion as before, Zero answered, “You said it yourself. We’re Hunters. We have a responsibility. We can’t let other things distract us.”

Taken aback, X said, “Right.”

Zero turned to leave him once more. He did not stop even as X called, “Be careful, too!”

As Zero left his sight, a fierce tremor coursed through the floor, making X stagger on his feet. X’s instincts sharpened, and he sensed something large just joined the fight. He raced out of the room, leaping over Mac’s corpse. Outside, he determined his position as being on the outer ring of the tower, mid-level. Through the cracked windows, he could view the rooftop courtyard capping the eastern wing of headquarters. Also in his view appeared a fanged mechaniloid, as tall as three-storey building floating over it, kept aloft by boosters under its torso. Heavy, spiked wrecking balls slammed down from its arm sockets, flattening every tree, fountain, and railing underneath. The impacts sent earthquakes through the tower, and tore away the wing’s outer plating to so that additional hostile mechaniloids could find their way inside.

X dashed for the courtyard. There he challenged the mighty steel beast, blasting off chunks of its hull and chassis with charged shots. Though the wide crest crowning its head and it’s perpetual snarl gave his foe an intimidating in appearance, X read its movements with ease. It continued to crush the floor beneath X as he dodged its attacks, but could do little to prevent X’s shots from finally penetrating clean through its armor. A fireball erupted from the giant’s face, with more following as it broke apart into wreckage and took a long fall down the face of the tower.

With a moment to pause, X caught his breath. The noise of helicopters drew his attention skyward, where he saw many spycopters still circling the tower. He swallowed, fearing he and Zero were in for a long night.

Then, X heard a mechanical whine fill his ears. Thrilled by the sound, he looked around, watching as turrets rose from panels interspersed throughout the tower. They took aim at the spycopters and returned fire, the flashes from their barrels lighting up the ruined courtyard. Flaming wreckage rained down like meteors as each barrage took out dozens of enemies at a time.

A broad smile grew on X’s face. The Hunters were pulling through the crisis, despite Mac’s treachery.

“X!”

X turned, and his face fell as he caught sight of Zero joining him on the courtyard. “Zero,” he said.

“Mac’s men are on the run, and we’ve retaken control of the tower’s defenses. We’ll have headquarters secure before morning.”

“That’s good,” X said.

“Nice job with that monster. Even with the tower’s guns, he would have been a big problem.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Zero appeared to want to say something else, but instead looked down at the ground. Bringing a hand up to his head, he said, “I have intel on Doppler’s Army. I can give you my report once we’re out of this mess.”

“Sure.”

An awkward pause came between them until Zero said, “Well, okay. I’m going to go help with mop up. Let me know if you need me.”

X’s heart raced, prompting him to spill his thoughts. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Zero nodded, but gave away little else in his blank expression. “I’ll see you later.”

X frowned as Zero left the courtyard. Zero’s stonelike attitude confused him, and a lingering fury still smoldered from the night Zero tainted their relationship. Zero’s reappearance stoked that fury back to life.

His skin prickled. Yet no amount of his anger came close to matching his overwhelming urge to touch Zero again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news? Zero's back. The bad news? Zero's back.


	8. Mending the Damage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update-- hope to tide everyone over until I get into the next bit (and bytes ;) ). I have a feeling, though, that this fic is going to be another one that I revise/edit once all is said and done. I am doing my best, but it can always be better! I'm more eager to get the story down first, though...

By daybreak, the last of the fires were put out, and an eerie quiet fell over the fresh destruction. Main power had been cut, with backup power feeding the bleak white of emergency lighting. In his opening salvo, Dr. Doppler wounded the Maverick Hunters gravely, rendering them back to a state similar to what followed Sigma’s rebellion.

High in the ruined tower, X surveyed the state of his office. The elevators still functioned, and minimal power ran through the light fixtures and his desk. However, a persistent breeze swept through, tossling torn books, broken glass, and burnt, frayed carpeting. The battle destroyed the window pane behind his desk, exposing the chamber to the elements.

"Still, it's not as bad as some areas. A lot of our armories and research labs were completely overturned..."

X turned as he listened to Zero, the latter in the midst of describing the aftermath of Dr. Doppler's attack.

"Worse still, Mac's former security team assisted Doppler's Army in breaching headquarters. All of the Hunters that were "cured" have retreated with Doppler's Army," Zero finished.

X frowned. "That hurts our numbers even more so than the attack itself did."

"Right. We're not going to have the strength to mount a counterattack anytime soon."

The statement distressed X, for he understood the implication. He closed the fist of his buster arm, looking down at it. "It's happening again. I'm so tired of the violence."

Before Zero could reply, a heavy knock came to the double doors, followed by a muffled " _Commander!_ "

"I'm here!" X said. He moved toward the doors, but Zero beat him to it. Without normal power, the double-doors needed to be manually pulled apart. A set of fingers appeared through the doors' seam. Slipping his fingers through the seam as well, Zero helped slide the panels apart.

A Hunter squeezed through and tumbled across the threshold. "The Council's here!" the Hunter reported. "I tried to have them wait, but-"

"Excuse us."

Zero and the Hunter stepped back as all five of the councilmembers filed in close behind, glass and paper crunching under their footsteps. They arranged themselves in a line before X, with the gray councilman slightly forward in the center.

"Council," X greeted. "I'm glad you're safe."

The gray councilman nodded, but his chin stayed lowered as though fascinated by something on the floor. Then, suddenly, he pitched forward, dropping to his knees before X. He supported himself on his hands, pressing them into the shards coating the floor.

"Sir!" X exclaimed, horrified to see blood trickle out from under the councilman's hands.

"Forgive us!" the councilman pleaded, bowing his forehead closer to the floor.

X hurried to his side, kneeling down to lift him up by his elbows. "It's alright! Please!"

The councilman lifted his gaze to meet X's dead on. "No, it's not alright. We were fools!"

"You wanted a cure. I understand that," X said.

The councilman rotated his left arm and placed his hand on X's buster. "That doesn't excuse our stupidity. And now, we've brought this misfortune on our heads."

X rose, supporting the councilman as he stood up with him. "Don't worry. It's Dr. Doppler who is at fault, and I will defeat him and his army,” X reassured him.

The councilman studied him for a pause. He then shook X by the arm, saying, "You are truly a marvel, a blessing we don't deserve." He then released X, a scarlet handprint staining X's blue armor.

The councilwoman spoke, saying, "Although it goes without saying, but I move to restore X as the singular authority of the Maverick Hunters. Over _all_ Hunter forces."

"Hear!"

"Concur."

"Yea."

The gray councilman followed last, saying, "Motion carried."

X bowed his head and said, "Thank you."

"No, Commander. It is you who have our gratitude."

X turned to the Hunter. "Please see that the councilman is looked after," he said, gesturing to the councilman's wounds. The Hunter saluted him, following closely behind as the Council left. Zero moved to help close the heavy doors behind them.

"I'm guessing a lot happened while I was, uh, gone," Zero said as the panels clicked shut.

X looked up from the trail of blood leading to the door to glance at him, then pivoted to move toward the edge of the window overlooking the city. When he heard Zero shuffle in beside him, he said, "I nearly quit the force. It was that or submit to the Neuro Computer."

Zero glanced at him, eyes wide. "How could they put you in that position?"

"They wanted to believe in a cure so badly. It must be terrifying to learn that it was all a fantasy."

"If only it were that easy, right?"

"Yeah."

The twinkling of Abel City’s countless specks of light dwindled as the dawn rose. X closed his eyes, his ears picking out truck horns and sirens blaring in the distance. He then heard the growing beat of helicopter blades as a patrol of bee bladers darted past the tower. Their wake kicked up a small storm of book pages, some escaping past the window’s edge, where they twirled and spun in a chaotic dance. When the noise died down, X said, "Why did you leave?"

Zero took in a deep breath, then answered, "We both had our suspicions. I wanted to see what kind of threat Doppler posed."

X frowned, then twisted to throw him an incredulous look. "The _real_ reason."

Zero tilted his face away. "I was hoping that conversation might wait."

X huffed. "Wait for what? I'm right here. We have a time."

"Until after we deal with Doppler."

"Why?"

"It can wait."

"Hey," X said, demanding Zero look at him. "If we're going to work together again, I have to be able to trust you."

"I haven't been worthy of that, have I?" Zero snapped. A pang of sympathy came over X in seeing Zero avoid his eyes.

X turned back to the view of the city. "You did scare me."

"You?  Scared, huh?"

"Fighting you is the scariest thing I can imagine," X said, almost as a whisper.

"I'm sorry."

X looked over again, drawn in by the sincerity he detected in Zero’s voice.

Zero wet his lips before he continued, "I really believed you were trying to let me down easy. I got scared, too, and I screwed everything up. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"You?  Scared?" X parroted, smiling.

Zero returned a shallow smile. "I guess the scariest thing I can imagine is you hating me."

"I'll never hate you."

Zero tightened his brow, seeming to be taken aback.  "You don't?"

"I'm still upset with you, and I hate that you left without a word.  But no, I don't hate you."

Zero let out a long breath.  He then said, "And you won’t have to worry about fighting me again. I promise."

X smiled at him. His brow scrunched, however, when Zero opened his mouth as if to speak. He instead covered his cheeks with an open hand and turned away from X. "What?" X asked.

Zero shook his head. "No, it's nothing. We have work to do."

X stared at his broad shoulders and back. The sight drew him in, and he recalled Dr. Cain's wisdom to him about patience. He approached Zero, and felt him tense as he snaked his arms around Zero's waist. He relaxed, however, as X nuzzled his cheek into his blond mane. A wild swell of wind gusted past, blowing around the loose locks between them and throwing up another squall of strewn paper. He felt Zero touch his arm, thumbing the blood still caked there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Zero. Don't make promises you can't keep.


	9. Counterattack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. Sorry for the loo-ho-hooong break. I’m finally going to get back into the swing here after burning out on MMX. I do want to try and get to the end of X3 here and (hopefully) explore a few ideas. I’m not certain how frequent updates will be but I am shooting for “regular”. Not reassuring, I know. But with X getting a new novel and some Marvel vs. Capcom love, I’m getting sucked back in a little...

Recovery from the night’s attack was well underway as the morning sun rose above Maverick Hunter headquarters. X focused on organizing and assisting the medical personnel. The Hunters worked tirelessly to snuff the fires, triage the wounded, and collect the dead.

Meanwhile, Zero - along with the remnants of his unit - worked with engineers on restoring main power. Block by block, lights and electronics flickered and brightened back to life, and elevators resumed their service.

Sometime in the midafternoon, X slipped out of the medical bay, weary and distraught. Along the hallway, he surveyed the rows and rows of gurneys and cots lined lengthwise along the wall, each one carrying an injured Hunter. The injured overflowed not only along the hallways, but also in every spare room in the vicinity.

X heard a moan, and stopped short when an arm reached out to block his path. He looked over, seeing a Hunter with his face still caked with grime and soot. His left foot was missing, as well as his right leg below the knee.

The Hunter touched X’s forearm and croaked out, “C’mmander.”

“Do you need more help with the pain?” X asked.

The Hunter swallowed, and with shaky motion, brought his hand to his forehead in a salute. “Always trusted you, sir. Y’re the real boss, not some purple clown.”

Taken aback, X said, “But I let this happen to you. To everyone here.”

“All due respect-,” He swallowed. “ _Bullshit._ Once I get patched up, and I’ll be right there with you when we go get the bastard who did this.”

The Hunter’s feisty candor coaxed a smile from X. He said, “You leave him to me. To us. Just take it easy.”

Relaxing his arm, the Hunter nodded with a smile, then fell back in repose.

X searched him for any sign of hatred or blame, but like his wounded comrades, he did not seem to fault their Commander at all. How could they ignore the truth? That he underestimated the risks, and the Hunters paid for it? That a better Commander would have known how to contain Mac. For a brief pause, he battled the urge to crawl into his own cot-- before grimly recalling that they had no more to spare.

A touch at his shoulder jarred him. He glanced over, catching the tell-tale red of his comrade.

“Hey,” X said.

“You alright?” Zero asked.

“Not really. We have a lot to discuss.”

“The war room is powered and functional. We can go over our next steps there. I have a plan.”

X nodded, following him from the medical bay to the elevator. When the elevator doors shut, and the lift hummed as it set in motion, Zero went on, “Doppler isn’t just after the Hunters. He just wants us out of the way so that he can proceed with something bigger.”

“Oh,” X said.

“He’s a few steps ahead of us, but I have a plan to get the situation under control.”

When X offered nothing else, Zero nudged him. “What’s on your mind?”

X sighed, saying, “We were so unprepared. Completely blindsided.”

Zero shrugged. “Well, Mac performed his role well to ensure that. And with the humans supporting him, there was nothing you could do.”

The elevator jostled to a stop, and the doors opened. As they stepped off, X replied, “No. I should have made a better case to the Council. Stood my ground. If I had only stayed here, then Mac might not have done nearly as much damage.”

“Or he just would have captured you sooner, and you would be halfway to Dopple Town in stasis by now.”

X sighed. “And then you’d still have to rescue me. Again.”

“Hey. That’s enough,” Zero said, cutting in front of him just before entering the war room. “I need you focused on the battle ahead of us. We can’t take on his army with you doubting yourself. After what you’ve been through, you should know that. We’re together in this. Just like old times.”

After searching Zero’s face, X relented. “You’re right. Let’s get to it.”

In the war room, they loaded a topographic map of Dopple Town and its vicinity onto a massive monitor, its colors partially distorted by damage at its bottom right corner. Zero input a flurry of keystrokes into the computer, bringing up coordinates on screen. Each point of interest displayed its name and a brief description drawn from Maverick Hunter records.

Zero stepped from the computer to point to the map. He said, "They're fortifying these marked locations, including the dam. Each is sending material and energy to a location near Doppler's main compound over here."

"Why?"

"At first I thought it was to build and maintain his army, but the bulk of it seems to be going into the mountainside here." Zero pointed to the map once more, to the cliffs adjacent to Doppler's base tower. "Security is heavy-- airtight in fact. But Dr. Doppler doesn't manage it directly."

"Who does?"

"Two foremen stood out. One is a brute, the other a shrimp in comparison. No doubt both of them are dangerous, so we should keep our eyes peeled for them."

"What else?"

Zero said, "Doppler has also recruited seven powerful Reploids.” After additional inputs into the terminal, Zero pulled up mugshots of the Maverick leaders in question. “They are stationed at each of these facilities."

"Witnesses report that Blast Hornet stood down and retreated with Doppler’s troops last night. That makes eight," X said. He brought a finger to his chin, studying the map of Dopple Town and its vicinity. "It's always eight." He then looked over to Zero, saying, "I'm sorry. He was one of the first officers to volunteer for Doppler’s treatment. I know he was a promising Hunter."

Zero chewed his lip, then shook his head. "I want to try reasoning with him first. Maybe we can try and reverse Doppler’s serum once this is all over. I hope we can."

X dropped his arm, his eyes alight. He said, "And maybe we can spare others, too."

“Right.”

“Maybe we won’t have to retire them all.”

Zero paused, taking a breath before saying, "By the way, I'm grateful that you didn't disband the Zero Unit."

X dropped his eyes, but he smiled and said, "They were offered other assignments, but they refused. They never stopped drilling and practicing as if you were still here." Then, he sighed. "I don't think they ever doubted you'd come back."

“Did you?”

X hesitated. “Honestly?”

Zero averted his eyes, too, saying, "Well, you can't get rid of me that easily."

A grin broke past X's professional demeanor. He could not hold back. In the moment of calm, X’s heart raced.

“I’m glad you’re back,” X said. “We can’t lose.”

“Anyway,” Zero said, turning back to the map. “I think it would be most efficient to start with the seaport, then the dam. Then we’ll work our way inward.”

“Uh, yeah,” X said. The grin quickly vanished as the flat response from Zero sobered him.

Zero continued, “Why don’t you go ahead first and secure those sites. Once we’ve got a foothold, I’ll bring my unit to scout ahead through the Valley and Dopple Town. Hopefully, with our intelligence, we can minimize casualties.”

“Yes, okay.”

Zero tapped his ear. “I’ll maintain a private comm link between us.”

X mirrored him, and patched in. “Testing.”

“Good,” Zero said. “If you need it, say the word and I’ll come back you up. Do you have any objections to the plan?”

“No.”

Zero looked him over, saying, “Then let’s go. Be careful out there.”

X smiled. “I’m taking orders from you again.”

“My mistake, Commander. It’s a hard habit to break,” Zero said, turning away from him.

X reached out to touch his arm. When that garnered no response, he grasped Zero’s elbow.

“Hey,” X said.

“What?” Zero replied, turning.

X pushed up onto his toes, intending to plant a kiss on Zero’s lips. His heart froze when Zero tensed and leaned away. X fell back onto his heels, mortified. He searched Zero’s face, but it remained blank.

“That’s not funny,” X said.

Zero stepped back, turning to leave. “Wasn’t meant to be. I just want to focus on our mission, okay?”

“Wait. What’s wrong?” X demanded.

“Nothing. As I said, we need to stay focused. I’ll see you later.”

A shout of his name burgeoned within X, but it never left his throat as Zero disappeared out of the room with ghostly speed.

 

* * *

 

Ground, air, and sea fleets mobilized by that afternoon, ahead of schedule. A bee blader delivered X from headquarters to Abel City’s docks, where he boarded a ship destined for Dopple Town’s seaport. As he stepped onto the main deck, he found a company of B Class Hunters there to greet him.

“Sir! Welcome aboard!”

“Thank you,” X replied.

The Hunters dropped their arms. The commanding Hunter stepped forward said, “We are all proud to serve as your spear, Commander!”

X fought to stop himself from reeling as he looked over the Hunter, taken aback by the latter’s fierce, dragon-like face accented with heavy black brows.  His wide, angular frame, and deep red hues were equally fearsome. Fascinated, if not utterly intimidated, X said, “What is your name, Hunter?”

“My designation is Magma Dragoon, Sir,” the Hunter said.

“Oh!” X said, recalling his brief examination of Dragoon’s recruitment record. “Photos don’t do you nor your specs justice, apparently.” He smiled. “You sure joined us at an awkward time. I hope you’ll forgive the first impression.”

Dragoon crossed an arm across his chest and bowed his head. “Respectfully, I feel I’ve joined at the perfect time. This is what I’m meant for. Battle.” He straightened, adding with a grin, “Because of that, I’m incorruptible. Mac’s toadies learned that the hard way when they tried to ‘persuade’ me, which is why I remain among the few able to serve.”

“I see,” X said, his smile disappearing. “Well, I’m pleased to see your enthusiasm. It’s very encouraging after what we’ve been through. But remember, I alone will deal with Crawfish. Only then will I signal you to take the port. No more Hunters will get needlessly hurt or killed on my account.”

Dragoon’s jaw twitched as the Hunters behind him shouted “Sir!” in unison. “Sir,” he then said.

They embarked as soon as the final pallet of supplies were laded. X pondered the unknown quantity of his imminent foe, Crush Crawfish. The Maverick defended the largest seaport in the Doppler region, and was a threat that posed the greatest mystery due to the sparse data the Maverick Hunters had on him. The Maverick had no official history as a normal Reploid. For all intents and purposes, Crawfish never much existed until he surfaced under Doppler’s employ.

X would collect more data on him soon enough, he thought ruefully. Within half the day, the thin line of the Dopple Coast appeared on the horizon. A towering herd of container cranes marked the point of assault.

The Hunters encountered light resistance from Doppler’s Army on the choppy waves of Dopple Bay, easily beating back skiffs and airborne nuisances. X, however, found the interior of the seaport to be much more densely guarded as he searched for Crawfish’s lair. The scale of the facility awed him, and the half dozen submarines under construction in dry dock proved just how formidable Dr. Doppler’s resources actually were.

Before long, however, stopped X in his tracks. He sensed a powerful presence within a vacant storage chamber; perhaps it was a subtle change in temperature, or the faint spike in background radiation.

“Surrender peacefully, and we’ll find a way to reverse whatever Dr. Doppler’s done to you!” X shouted.

“Done to me? What has he done to me?” a voice replied, echoing off of the steel walls.

X struggled to pinpoint the source. “You were turned Maverick by him, weren’t you?”

The voice chuckled, then roared with laughter. “Nonsense. I was already feeling quite well before I sought him out for a cure. Then, I realized I didn’t want it after all. I had cured myself!”

“Then you’re-,”

“I cured myself of _delusions_ , you see. I’m free from the absurd demands society tries to impose on our kind. Free to embrace my _true_ nature. As for the doctor? He understood. A rare mind, that one.”

X sighed, readying his buster. He took on a defensive stance, saying, “There’s no saving you, is there? Show yourself, Crawfish!”

“Save me?  What about yourself?”

A flash of eyes appeared on the ceiling, and X then noticed the outline of Crawfish-- as though the latter congealed out from the shadows. The Maverick dropped and landed with a heavy thud, unleashing an opening salvo of boomerang claws.

 

* * *

 

In the previous two wars, Mavericks fought with terrifying fervor, and their relentlessness came from a loyalty to a greater cause. Yet the intensity of the hatred he met in Crawfish alarmed X. It was as if their fight was personal, with no other purpose than complete destruction. As X’s final shot penetrated Crawfish’s armor, and the latter split into flames, X supposed that no two Mavericks were ever exactly alike in their motivations.

Yet in his next challenge with Toxic Seahorse to secure the dam, it became clear that his enemies were fiercer than any he had faced in the prior two wars, and even more fanatical about killing Maverick Hunters. Even as they restored fresh water supplies and halted the dam’s energy supplies to Dopple Town, X did not spare even a moment to revel in the victory before wading into the jungles of Dopple Valley. Something was off about these Maverick leaders.

Not just off, he realized. _Familiar._


	10. Advance, Retreat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a bit of inspiration from the manga with this chap.

X pushed through a dense mass of leaves, soft dirt crunching beneath his feet.  He turned yet another bend in the narrow footpath. More indistinguishable tangles of cybernetic jungle lay ahead. The surrounding tree trunks and roots pulsed and hummed with electricity, adding an unnatural and unsettling quality to the surroundings.

“Walking in circles,” X mumbled. “Can’t be.” Once more, he checked and rechecked his navigational systems. They assured him of his direction, but visual cues implanted doubts as to whether they were faulty.

A full diagnostic would have to wait. He spun his head to and fro, scanning, scanning. Somewhere, among the thickets, a predator lurked, ready to pounce and destroy any Maverick Hunter unit that dare tread his domain: Neon Tiger.  X intended to lure the Maverick out and neutralize him before calling in support.  If not, he would corner him in Dopple Valley's conservatory.  Similar strategies worked well for the seaport and the dam. Yet within the maze of the heavy forest, he thought he could use a pair of eyes on his back.

He thought about Zero. There was no immediate danger, but he thought about raising his comrade, unsure of what exactly he wanted to request. His company, X supposed. But the cold way in which Zero dismissed his affections replayed in his mind.

A turbulence beneath him jarred him. But the sensation came and went so quickly, he could not be sure he imagined it.

Then, between his feet, a clump of soil shifted again. X leaped back, training his buster onto the churning dirt. From it burst a single, worm-like robot. It twisted and writhed its way out of the ground. Once it extracted itself, it turned its single eye toward X.

“Commander X?”

“Who are you?”

The worm’s eye squinted. “You are under arrest!”

“Under Doppler’s authority, I presume?”

Suddenly, the dirt began to churn once more, and pats of soil bubbled at the surface surrounding the lone worm. Soon, however, another worm emerged, then another, and within seconds a great mass burst from the surface. The worms wrapped around each other, bolting and fusing into one another until each unit congealed into a single Reploid. His height came to X’s waist, but despite his size, the hostility that emanated from him put X on his guard.

“The doctor has ordered your capture, and I, Bit, will see that it is carried out!”

“What does Doppler want with me?”

“He recognizes your great power. Your remorseless termination of our officers supports that claim.” Bit clenched his fists. He held out an arm, and in the place of his fist a plated shield formed, with a sapphire orb lodged in its center. In the other fist, a long saber sprouted. He peeked at X from around the shield, saying, “It’s strange. All I see here is an outdated piece of scrap. Surrender, and I’ll promise not to hurt you.”

“I don’t want to fight, but I won’t hesitate to defend myself.”

“So be it!”

Bit leaped with the nimble spring of a flea. He swung a vorpal sword across, but with equal quickness X leaped backwards and narrowly avoided the blow. X answered with a blast from his buster, but the projectile absorbed harmlessly into Bit’s shield. They traded blows, pausing before clashing again in deadly rhythm. Another slash, another roll out of danger. X loosed another charged shot as he came back onto his feet, but still Bit again resisted it with little effect. X huffed in frustration.

X took a deep breath. He activated his comm.

“Zero,” he said. “Might need that backup.”

“Already on my way,” came the reply.

X shifted his strategy, focused on holding out. He tested Acid Burst and Spinning Blade; the former absorbed into Bit’s shield with little effect, much like his buster shot. The latter caused Bit to pause as he deflected the boomerang, but was otherwise unhindered.

While avoiding another ferocious leap, X felt a pull on his toe, yanking him to the ground. Propped on his elbows, he looked to see it wedged into a snarl of roots. The shock of his fall stunned him. Bit chuckled. The Maverick raised his sword.

Then flinched. Instead of slicing downward, he raised his shield, deflecting an incoming projectile.

“Stay out of this!” Bit shouted, retreating several steps. “Stay back!”

He struck his shield with his blade, and X winced at the percussion. He felt a light tap on his shoulder.

“Come on. Let’s do this together.”

“Zero.”

As X pried out his toe and rose to his feet, Zero charged forward, occupying Bit with a flurry of his Z-saber. Bit parried and matched him blow for blow, but his diminutive size proved a disadvantage as he struggled to deflect Zero’s unrelenting strikes.

With a final strike, Bit’s blade flew from his hand. Bringing his Z-saber back across, Zero then severed through the arm wielding the shield.

“X!”

X was already charging his buster. With a leap, he aimed down and fired just over Zero’s head. The shot struck Bit dead center, and the overload sent a burst of sparks erupting from his joints.

“Damn it…” Bit groaned. His charred body collapsed onto its knees. “I may not be able to best you, but Byte will avenge this.”

“Hey! Stop there!” X said, but it was useless. Bit’s form already disintegrated back into worms, and burrowed beneath the earth.

Zero made a noise of disgust. “That explains it.”

“What does?”

“We detected an odd energy signature while scouting this area. Signatures, really. Separate at first, then they seemed to merge when you arrived. Neon Tiger’s specs aren’t capable of something like that. Glad I decided to follow you this time.”

“I see,” X said. “You could have told me, you know.” He thought he spotted a hint of a smile on Zero’s lip, but the latter turned away.

“Neon Tiger shouldn’t be far that way, according to my intel,” Zero said, pointing. “I’ll keep scouting ahead while you take care of him. The armory should be just beyond the Valley.”

“You’re going after Hornet.”

A pause. “I’ll report in when the facility is secure,” Zero said.

“Wait,” X said, but his comrade already disappeared into the heavy brush. He sighed. A weight sunk in his chest once more.

* * *

 

X neutralized Neon Tiger with no small struggle. The Maverick bristled with the energy of the Sun itself. Like the others, the savagery behind Neon Tiger’s mad glare seemed all too personal.

Spinning Blade, however, stopped Neon Tiger in his tracks and tore through the Maverick’s light armor with stunning efficiency. It was only a matter of time before the Maverick succumbed to his injuries. With the forest secured, X spent only a moment to debrief his troops before heading out to the air base. Already thin from Doppler’s attack on the Maverick Hunter headquarters, their numbers were getting thinner as X captured territory. He would worry about the shortage later.

An alarming message had preoccupied him. While on his way, and just when the sentry towers of the armory came into view, his comm crackled.

_X?_

_Zero?_

_Don’t come to the armory._

_What?_

_I’ve got it under control._

_What about Blast Hornet?_

_It’s fine. Just proceed to the mine. I’ll catch up later._

He did not sound fine. Breathless, if not anxious. X tried to raise Zero again, but the connection rang dead. The mine fell to the bottom of his concerns as he prepared to drop into a veritable hive of Mavericks at Doppler’s armory.

Being a crucial target for the Doppler Army’s effective strength, the forces defending the facility were as myriad and relentless as ever. Mechaniloids swarmed him in the warehouses. They pounced on him at the receiving platforms, and swooped on him between the hangar bays. He slipped inside one such hangar, seeing columns and columns of reserve spycopters. Their beady, dead eyes seemed to track him as he inspected the spaces between them. Despite their unsettling gaze, X was grateful for a temporary refuge from the chaos outside.

No sign of Zero.  But a voice called out to him.

“X.”

“Who is it?” X stepped back, searching above him.

“This way,” it said, coying.

The hangar door groaned and strained. It lifted, buckled, then a whir of mechanisms pulled apart the massive panels, allowing a bright glare of sunlight to pour through.  When his eyes adjusted to the flash of light, X started, seeing Zero stood just outside.

“Zero!”

X stopped short. Something was wrong. With more cautious steps he approached, glancing down to Zero’s legs. A stasis field wrapped his legs in bright orange links.

“X!” Zero lurched at him against his restraints. “What did I tell you!”

“What _didn’t_ you tell me?”

A sharp gust of wind blew sand against X’s back, immediately followed by his sense of a new presence behind him. Before he could react, an arm snaked around his throat, and he felt the cold kiss of a buster gun at his temple.

“Welcome, X,” his captor said.

“Hornet,” X deduced out of the corner of his eye. “How?”

The Maverick chuckled. Gesturing to Zero, he said, “Commander, you know I was his prize student, don’t you? I know the way he thinks. His methods. And setting a trap for him allowed me to set the trap for you.”

Blast Hornet held his buster to the side of X’s head, his other arm tight under X’s chin.

“You’re so naive. I hate you. _Hate_ that you’re Commander. You are nothing compared to him.” Hornet shot a glance to Zero. “That he took you as a lover offends me to my core.”

Stunned, X said, “What? How did you-,”

“Oh? Was that not the reason why he sought out the doctor? It was all for you. He wanted a cure, too. So he could run back into your waiting arms.”

“Zero…” X breathed. “Is that true?”

Zero did not reply.

Hornet huffed. “Zero, I will be frank with you. I have no wish to fight you. You are a superior Reploid, and an exceptional officer. I would have followed you until death, if I hadn’t believed the Maverick Hunters were on a slow, painful march towards obsolescence.”

“And with an old piece of blue scrap here leading it,” Hornet said with a wry chuckle, “that path for the Hunters is all but assured. Why not let me destroy him, so that you can lead the Maverick Hunters? Cut him off like a broken limb. I will release you, then return to the your side immediately. My forces would be yours. Doppler would not be able to withstand the both of us.”

“Not a chance,” Zero said, his eyes flashing with rage. He again pulled against his restraints. The energy of the field crackled and its light shorted.

“No? Have I misjudged you? I thought you were wiser, Zero.”

“I don’t see wisdom in switching sides whenever it suits you. I see cowardice. I’m disappointed in you, Hornet. You’re an embarrassment to the Zero Unit.”

That seemed to give the Maverick pause-- and an excuse to tighten his grip around X, pain intensifying around his throat.

“Why do you care about him so much, anyway? He holds us back. Holds you back.”

“Yet all you’ve done is prove that Reploids need the restraint.”

Hornet lurched again, a frustrated noise escaping him.

X spoke up. “It’s okay, Hornet. Surrender. This doesn’t have to end with dea-, ah!.”

Hornet’s grip on his neck silenced him. “Shut up! I do not surrender to you, nor the Hunters.” He eyed Zero with a sullen look. “But now I see the problem. Your weakness has diluted Zero’s potential.”

“He hasn’t ‘diluted’ anything. Power down your weapons. Now,” Zero insisted.

Hornet’s gaze fell. He seemed to ponder it. But then said, “You took me under your wing, Zero. You made me great. Which is why, with great solemnity, I will do you this favor. I will take X from you. I wished to fight alongside you again, but if it requires my life for you to take your rightful place, then so be it.”

A sharp whine, and X felt Hornet’s chest shudder against his back. The deadly baubles housed within Hornet’s abdomen rattled and writhed with life. The grip around his neck squeezed ever tighter.

“No!”

The restraints crackled again. Then, they burst.

“How-?” Hornet said.

“Someone else tried to pull a similar trick on us once. Makes me wonder where you got the idea. Didn’t work out so well for him, either.”

“Zero, you’ve got to stay away!” X shouted.

Ignoring his plea, Zero stepped forward as the last sparks of energy fizzled from his legs. He approached Hornet with a blank look.

“Yes. Obey your Commander,” Hornet huffed. His wings deployed, and the loose sand around them swirled as he attempted takeoff.

But in the next instant, Zero was digging his fingers into the armored plating of Hornet’s arm around X’s neck. With terrifying strength, he pulled Hornet back down and anchored them so that Hornet could not lift himself and X but a few inches off of the ground.

“How can you be so strong? Release me!” Hornet hissed, attempting to wrench his arm loose from Zero’s grip. The restless, larva-like creatures within the Maverick’s abdomen emitted an ominously bright glow.

“You destroy him, and you destroy me,” Zero said.

“Let go! Or you will forever be under the boot of this weakling. You’ll never know _real_ strength.”

“I do know it.”

His eyes locked with X’s. The determination he saw in them reinvigorated X.

Zero continued, “If you truly had any respect for me as your superior, Hornet, you would not presume to make my decisions for me. You would realize that I am already in my rightful place.” He bowed his head. “That the only one with real strength here is X.”

The glow of the larvae faded. X pushed against Hornet’s arm, but was surprised when he came loose from it easily. Hornet released him, and he tumbled awkwardly into Zero’s open arms. He then turned back to Hornet.

“Hornet, stop this.” X said. “Come back with us.”

“I betrayed the Hunters.”

“It’s Doppler. I know. We’ll figure out a way to cure you.”

Hornet looked up, staring off into space as he said, “I wanted to kill him. I still want to kill him. Yet he still asks me to return. Zero says he’s strong. I don’t understand it.”

“We’re your _friends_ ,” X insisted.

But Hornet continued, rambling, “I don’t understand any of it. You. Zero. This world anymore.” The larvae reactivated, tumbling and squirming with renewed energy. Hornet fluttered his wings and rose up high, hovering above them all. “Hunters, Mavericks...what’s the difference?”

“Hornet!” X shouted.

“He’s not listening,” Zero said. “He’s mad.”

The rattling in Hornet’s abdomen increased to fevered pitch, and the shrill whine of myriad fuses heralded terrible destruction.

“Hornet!” X tried to reach him again, desperate.

Zero stepped in front, shielding X as a spurt of fire blazed from Hornet’s abdomen, then an explosive fireball scorched the air and rocked the earth. Seconds later, as the heat dispersed, charred pieces of lifeless chassis fell, embedding themselves in the dirt.

A familiar pressure coursed through X's body.  Every conduit and circuit came alive with a surge of new data.  Weapon data from Blast Hornet streamed into his memory banks.  With it, a profound sense of confusion-- a persistent residual of Hornet's final state of mind.

"I have a hunch that _someone_ gave him that trap he used on me.  Doppler's flunkies aren't the only one we need to worry about out here.  If  _he's_ somewhere out here, too..."

X was barely listening.  He could feel them. Tears, pooling in his eyes as he looked upon the broken corpse.

When X felt Zero’s reassuring hand in his back, he blurted, “Is it true?”

Zero did not immediately reply, but removed his hand. Then, “Yeah. After I...I acted like such a monster to you. I wasn’t just gathering intel on Doppler. I was so stupid.”

X regarded him. “Go back to headquarters. Get examined.”

“Hey!” Zero protested. “I’m _fine_ , and you need me out here. I’m not going back.”

“It’s an order,” X said, his tone neutral, and his expression blank.

Zero reeled. “No. You’re upset with me, and it’s clouding your judgment.”

“I’m seeing very clearly. But I need to be sure you’re not-,”

“A liability?” Zero huffed. “A Maverick?”

“Not going to end up like Hornet.”

The air crackled with Zero’s indignation. He turned on his heel. “I’ll prove I’m still effective.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to pay Doppler a visit, and this time it won’t be for a cordial chat. Then you can reprimand me, demote me, order me around all you like.”

X spun to face him.  “Absolutely not! You need to go back to headquarters. I’ll manage the Zero Unit.”

“Are you going to stop me?”

This time, X reeled. Zero’s flaunt sent a chill through him. “No.”

Zero stopped, twisting to look back over his shoulder. “You know, Hornet was right about one thing. I did it for you. I hoped you’d understand that, despite the risk.”

“That’s why you’ve been distant though, isn’t it?”

Zero turned back around. “I’ll have the Zero Unit report to you. We’ll talk about it when this is over. I promise.”

Then, for what seemed like the hundredth time this war, X watched as Zero’s back retreated from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here come the identity issues! We're in Dramatown now.
> 
> I know Bit's is not that short/small in canon, only when compared to Byte-- but I like the idea of him being _much_ smaller based off his name. I hope taking that liberty isn't too jarring


	11. The Lonely Mountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. I took some creative liberties with this chappy-- I'll explain my thoughts in the end note. I added the detail of X acquiring Hornet's weapon in the previous chapter, as I left it out in an apparent fit of derp.

Of all the landscapes the Hunters conquered thus far, Dopple Mountain and its vicinity stood as the most lonely and remote. A relentless blizzard had settled in, cloaking its craggy, looming peaks, and bitter winds whipped snow against any who dare approach. The brutal storm seemed determined to leech away all hope along with one’s body heat.

X regrouped with his remaining forces within the shelter of the mine tunnels bored underneath the mountain. They settled the mine after X eliminated its Maverick warden, Tunnel Rhino. The mine was rich with energem ore, which Rhino supplied for the Doppler Army. Reason failed to penetrate the mad Reploid’s thick armor; Acid Burst, however, proved far more effective. With rue, X uploaded his report to the Maverick Hunter database, and Rhino’s service record to into the growing graveyard of Reploid luminaries labeled _DECEASED_.

No word from Zero. X attempted to raise him several times, though unsure for what specific purpose. _To reason with him? To apologize? To make sure he’s still alive?_ _That his mind is still..._

The dead static that answered him with every try rendered any such intentions moot.

“Sir!”

X glanced up from a datapad. “What is it?”

“Along the road, sir.”

Snatching up a storm lantern, X followed the sentry to the edge of their bare perimeter of barricades and accompanying guard. With visibility low, he held up the lantern higher, squinting through icy gusts. He spotted a lone humanoid figure approaching on foot. His shape was squat and rotund, and did not so much walk as he did waddle. Out of precaution, the guard trained their arms on the stranger.

“Hold,” X said, waving for them to lower their weapons. The tension in his shoulders relaxed, and he stepped out from the perimeter, walking down the path in order to meet the stranger halfway. The warm lantern light cast deep shadows over his chubby cheeks and bulbous nose, and his shell was the brightest of yellow X had ever known. His appearance was so distinct, he yet the memory of him felt vague. X said, “Halt there. I recognize you, I think.”

“Do you really?” burst from the stranger’s mouth. “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe this!”

“State your business.”

“Commander,” the stranger greeted with cross of his arm and a bow of his head. “I am here to serve as your liaison with the Zero Unit!”

His nasal-yet-cheery tone made X arch an incredulous brow. “ _You_ are of the Zero Unit?”

The stranger’s eyes darted to the ground. “Not exactly,” he said, sniffling.

“Then please remind me of your name and rank.”

“It’s Double, sir. I am actually a C Class in the service of the Zero Unit. I don’t do any of the cool stuff, just their maintenance, cleanings, driving, that sort of thing. But that changes today!”

“And Zero sent you?”

Double slumped, then reached for a datapad hung around his plump waist. With a sigh, “He thought you might be unconvinced. Here.”

X examined Double’s orders. The language was direct and ordinary, as though a routine request, and bore Zero’s authorization. “Fine,” X said, though his skepticism was far from mollified. “Says here you have great enthusiasm and are very eager to prove yourself.”

Double’s eyes alighted as he straightened up. “Oh! I do, and I am! Especially to you, sir!”

“Me?”

“You’re a legend! Besides, if I do a good enough job, then you might promote me to B Class, right?”

X fought a grimace. “Is that what Zero said?”

“Well, ‘maybe’, he said. What do you think, sir?” Double maintained his wide-eyed expression, expectant.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. We still have a war to win. Let’s discuss what you have to report, first.” X turned on his heel and backtracked toward the mine entrance.

That prompted a hurried tumble of heavy steps. “Oh, um, of course! Yes, let’s warm up a bit. I’ve been through worse, though, don’t you doubt that!” Double said, catching up. X eyed him obliquely, studying the odd way he swayed and bobbled as he walked. He tried once more to recollect when Double joined the Hunters, but with the volume of recruits they absorb every month, it was difficult to say for sure. X made a note to research Double’s personnel record later.

He regretted the shortness of his tone, and promised himself not to take his problems with Zero out on a C Class. The kind of enthusiasm Double demonstrated was something he wished to nurture, not stamp out.

They reconvened within a makeshift office established within a pocket just inside, containing only but a small table in the center, and a few crates of supplies. X set the lantern down on the table.

“How are your supplies?” Double asked.

“Adequate, though razor-thin. We’re scavenging much of our equipment from Doppler’s Army.”

“Living off the land, I see. Smart.” Double blanched immediately. “I mean, of course it is! You’re the Commander! Oh, darn it, darn it, darn it...”

“That’s enough,” X said, holding up his palm. He struggled to keep his promise to himself, astounded that Zero would send him someone without the level of discipline he expected from the Zero Unit. “Hold it together, Hunter.”

Double sighed. “I’m sorry, sir. I just, I just _can’t_ screw this up. Or I’ll be the butt of every joke for the rest of my life!”

Hearing that, X’s irritation dulled as his sympathy came to the fore. He lowered his hand, and softened. “Don’t worry, you’re doing fine. Let’s just hear what you have. Tell me, can we avoid the mountain?”

“Right.” Double shook his head. “No sir, it’s not advisable. We discovered communications that evidences a weather observation and research camp, as well as Maverick presence on the mountain. If we do not secure it, Doppler will be able to track Hunter movements throughout the Valley and anticipate any assault on his fortress.”

“Great,” X huffed, turning his back to him. “Then I will make ready for a climb. Weather is too nasty for an airlift. ”

“Sir. The Zero Unit is at your disposal. If it please you, I can say you ordered us to take the mountain. We won’t hesitate if you say so.”

“No. The Unit is too valuable to divert for a seek and neutralize mission. Continue finding out as much as you can about Doppler and his forces.”

“Sir!” Double answered, and X thought he heard him clobber himself with a salute. Amusement broke through his dour thoughts.

Turning back to Double, X said, “I thank you sincerely for taking up this responsibility. I realize the circumstances of this are...unusual, and so I admire your loyalty and cooperation.”

“You do?” Double said, breathless as he lowered his arm.

“Indeed. Keep it up.”

“Yes, sir!” He saluted again, tottering as his knuckles collided again with his forehead.

“Dismissed.”

Double hesitated, and with a quick nod he beat a hasty as much as an awkward retreat. X smiled, finding himself grateful for some levity after all. It crossed his mind that this is what Zero intended, and his smile faded quickly, his cheer overcome by worry. He did not dwell long, however-- the mission was clear, and so he set aside his conflicting emotions, and prepared for his ascent up the mountain.

* * *

 

X’s legs sunk into snow almost knee deep. Though his thermoregulation and de-icing protocols kept him functional, X lost count of how many times he stopped to wipe off the slushy crust forming over his feet and shins. Rather, he had a precise tally, but chose to periodically purge the data from his memory. The practice seemed to blunt the persistent strain on his systems that set in halfway up the maze of hairpin turns and sharp drop offs.

Graveyard proved to be an apt as well as disquieting description for what he waded into as he neared the top. Statues carved from boulders and and reliefs carved into the cliff faces watched him, the subjects all familiar faces and forms of retired Mavericks: Chill Penguin. Wheel Gator. Bubble Crab. Even the Velguarder, with its vicious maw open to strike. A horrid menagerie, with likenesses so uncanny, that X resisted the instinct to train his buster arm when periodically the snowy haze thinned, and they ambushed him with their twisted, hateful expressions.

It was as if X stumbled upon a grand trophy hall, erected with him in mind. And if this were a psychological ploy, then the coup de grace appeared on a rise in the narrow mountain pass just a couple hundred meters before the coordinates of the mountain settlement. X emerged from a stream of roiling clouds, wiped the frost from his eyes, and gaped as he leaned back to look upon the monstrosity: a bust of Sigma, at least six body lengths in height, casting his menacing gaze out from the mountain, and beyond across Dopple Valley.

“It can’t be,” X said into the howling wind.

With heightened caution, he trudged on and down the pass, leading him toward a shallow crater. Clusters of tents and huts filled the space, the ridges of the crater providing some shelter from the enduring gusts. He focused more upon the myriad figures outside them, all frosted over in crystal clear ice. As he drew closer, he realized the clusters had arms and legs. And faces.

A sudden dread gripped him when he realized these were no stone sculptures as before. They were live Reploids and humans, frozen in situ with a blanket of crystal clear ice. Their calm, carefree expressions and paused strides suggested they did not expect whatever attack put them in this state.

Still, hope remained. X scanned the vitals of one of the human victims, but pulls back in surprise. “They’re still alive!” he said, eyes alight. Acting on the revelation, he brought up his comm.

“This is Commander X to base.”

“Comma-...acknowledge. Barely-...-oost the signal, will you? There. Commander, we read you.”

“The settlement is frozen over, but the people here are still alive. I need enough personnel to carry them down the mountain and take them away for cryo-reversal. Hopefully the storm will clear enough to get some airlifts up here.”

“Roger! But s-...-the -averick gone?”

X scanned the surroundings. “I don’t think so, but I’ll make sure the area is secure before you reach the camp. On the double!"

“Sir!”

As the comm link cut, X sensed movement behind him. Then, footfalls crunching in the snow. Whipping around, he sighted the hulking form of a Reploid, with cloven hooves and pair of ringed horns sprouting from its head. Eddies of frost puffed from its large, bovine nostrils. As to its disposition, the most telling clue was it’s lack of an icy encasement.

“Who are you, stranger?” the Reploid asked.

X tensed. “X, Commander of the Maverick Hunters. You must be Blizzard Buffalo. This camp has been frozen solid by a Maverick. Is that you?"

"Regretfully. But one must often destroy in order to create. To make something better."

"Why? Why would you do such a horrible thing?"

Buffalo spread his arms. "Did you know I am an artist? Doppler gave me the mountain as my creative sanctuary. Unfortunately, no one here believed that a Reploid can claim to be as such. That we cannot express our true feelings. If only they could be standing where you are now, able to see themselves.” Gesturing to the settlement, he continued, “Their frozen faces are as beautiful and expressive as anything I've yet to carve, even with my delicate touch."

"You're sick! What you call ‘art’ is insane! Please surrender, and we can help you."

Buffalo huffed. "I need no help, but I welcome your scorn. Great artists often endure a lifetime of misunderstanding, only to be revered for their genius after their death. Either the Hunters end here, X, or you will grant me the posthumous acclaim I richly deserve. En garde!"

When Buffalo scraped his hoof against the ground, X glanced about at the vulnerable townspeople. “Wait! You’ll-!”

Cut off by Buffalo’s reckless charge, X rolled out of its path. Nonetheless, he heaved a sigh of relief when by chance, no one else was trampled in his path. He instinctively charged his buster, but canceled it on his better judgment.

“Aren’t I just the bull in the china shop,” Buffalo said, packing a fist into his palm. He clicked his tongue. “And you’re so afraid to hurt even one person that you can’t fight back.”

X backed away, glancing to and fro, and running through his options. If they continued here, many may suffer damage, or worse. His mind raced to concoct an alternative strategy. He came up short, except for in the final moment when he remembered that horrible, twisted face of Sigma. X stopped and planted his feet. “Let’s do this away from the settlement.”

“Why?”

“Because if you harm even one person here, and I’ll grind to dust every sculpture on this mountain. Everything you have ever created. You won’t have a legacy to outlive you.”

Buffalo paused. “Please. You aren’t so vindictive.”

“Starting with the worst of all,” X said, pointing his buster arm toward the stone visage of Sigma.

“Wait!” Buffalo said, flinching.

“And if you harm these people, no one will remember you for your artistry. Only for your butchery. I won’t even have to destroy your work myself. People will gladly do that on their own.”

A low growl from Buffalo answered him. “Fine. It doesn’t matter where I kill you, anyway.”

X used Sigma as his waypoint in drawing his foe out of the camp. Yet as soon as he cleared the tents, Buffalo said, “Best get ready to run, wimp.”

X broke into a sprint, as well as he could over the gradual incline of the crater and through a blanket of snow fall. Buffalo chased him to the lip, and X hardly stepped one foot onto the ridge before a volley of piercing icicles flew from Buffalo. He tumbled gracelessly, but the projectiles flew over his head broke apart when they slammed into the frozen ground.

His systems worked furiously to analyze Buffalo’s dense and icy exterior, as well as the armaments at the Maverick’s disposal. An alert suggested he load Blast Hornet’s data and its corresponding weapon, Parasitic Bomb, with its homing insectoids. With a brief flash, his body modified itself with the chosen weapon.

As X regained his footing, Buffalo bowed his head and dashed in another devastating stampede. Just as his horns were about to collide with X’s chin, X fired a spiked trap from his buster.

“Ugh!”

Buffalo struggled, but the trap pinned his arms to his sides, and he lost balance. He fell forward with a heavy thud, pushing against the restraints. Then, a shrill whine sounded as the trap began to cook off.

“No! X! Let me go!” Buffalo pleaded. The fear in his voice sickened X, but he kept his distance when, a second later, a blast of fire enveloped the Maverick. The shockwave of it struck X in the gut like a heavy punch.

When the fire and smoke cleared, Buffalo remained intact, though barely. Electricity arced between burnt cracks and frayed wiring at his joints. X thought him unconscious until Buffalo brought one of his large hands under him and pushed himself up onto his feet. The extent of the damage showed on his face where his jaw hung loose and folded in on itself. He lurched and wobbled, mumbling, then speaking in an unbroken stream.

“Don’t care. Don’t care anymore. I don’t care. Just die. Die, die, die…Don’t care...”

X reeled when Buffalo’s hand retracted into his buster arm, and charged up an unknown attack. By instinct, X hurled himself aside when a glacial beam shot from Buffalo and sliced through the air. Even at a fair distance, the intense cold drew away every bit of heat in from its surroundings and scoured the cliff face behind X.

Buffalo continued to stagger forward, charging again for another blast. With solemn determination and his life at stake, X mirrored him with a charged shot of Parasitic Bomb. A reticule in his vision locked in on Buffalo. Once released, a swarm of explosive insects burst from the barrel of his buster and homed in on Buffalo with merciless speed.

With a grunt, Buffalo tumbled backward as the insects clamped themselves over his legs, back, and over his eyes. At that moment, he released his attack. The beam tore through the air once more, but angled enough to strike the face of Sigma. Ice crystals sprouted along its path, over his cheek and the bridge of his nose. The rapid cooling turned the stone brittle, and as the ice crumbled, so too did his face. The earth shook as falling stones and boulders thundered down and tumbled off the mountain face.

The damage revealed a hollow within the rock, with a cross section of steel beams and flooring, and X could see the undersides of a pair of telescopes attached inside Sigma’s eyes. X realized that this was the observatory.

“Sig-...ma,” Buffalo stuttered as he charged his weapon once more.

“What about him?” X demanded as he returned his attention back to the Maverick. Hearing his nemesis’ name from the mouth of the Maverick added significant weight to his growing suspicions as to whether Doppler was the sole mastermind behind the current conflict.

Yet he averted his eyes as the fuses within the robotic insects ticked down, and made no effort to move. It no longer mattered. The first explosion ripped away Buffalo’s buster, and the rest thundered in successive blasts. They reduced the once mighty Reploid to a gnarled, blackened heap, his lifeless shell sinking into a bed of snow.

Thus Blizzard Buffalo entered the rolls of the deceased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always been wanting to explore Double's backstory a bit, and I thought it might be cool to have some of the groundwork planted well before X4. So I regret that his presence might throw people, but my hope is that it's an intriguing idea
> 
> I also realize that X needs armor upgrades to charge up weapons, but so far I have chosen not to feature Light capsules in this series as an editing decision (but it also can be up to you guys whether he has been picking up upgrades or not). So I am aware that there is a detail from canon here I am not strictly following...
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all are still enjoying this. Thank you for the continued feedback.


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